This past weekend was jammed packed full of events which started with Marcelo's MMA fight at Real Fighting Championship, to Adult Belt Camp on Saturday, and closing with a great CPR class on Sunday.

Be sure to check out all the pics in the gallery of this weekend's events.

In the early 1990s, when competition jiu-jitsu was starting to become popular in Rio, a new team was founded, joining the two zones of the city.

Carlson Gracie's pupil Andre Pederneiras (a black belt in jiu-jitsu and judo) had a strong team in Botofogo, in the South of Rio de Janeiro. To expand, he looked for new members for his team in the northern area of the city.

At this time, the North Zone was considered technically inferior in jiu-jitsu and Andre aimed to help the area as part of his quest.

Meaning "New Union", the Nova Uniao Jiu-Jitsu Academy was founded in Rio de Janeiro in 1995 when the Mello Tenis Clube Jiu-Jitsu, headed by Wendell Alexander, joined with Andre's team. Wendell was a black belt from Sebastiao Ricardo, who in turn was a student of the Master Oswaldo Fadda, one of the few people to train in Brazil under Sensei Maeda of Japan.

Within a few short years the team had a production line of local (state), national (Brazilian) and world champions which culminated in the team winning the teams division at the 2001 World Championship.

Since 2002, when a second world body was formed (in protest against the dictorial run CBJJ), Nova Uniao has declined to participate as a team in the World Championships, and has focussed instead on competing in more openly administered events. The team has won the World Cup each year since its inception in 2002, and continues to win and/or place in almost all other jiu-jitsu tournaments in Brazil.

Moreover in recent years, the focus of the team (especially at the headquarters in Rio), has been on competition for Mixed Martial Arts (Vale Tudo). And without doubt, Nova Uniao are leading the way when it comes to adapting jiu-jitsu for modern day MMA competition.

Name: Andre Pederneiras
Born: March, 22 1967
Weight: 155 pounds
Height: 5′8″
Years of training: 20
Black Belt: 5 degree(Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)
Judo: 1 dan
National Champion: 6 times (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)
City Champion: 10 times (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)
Shooto Champion 1998 (defeat Rumina Sato by KO)
Shooto 1999: Draw vs Kaoro Uno
2000 Collision: Draw against Genki Sudo

Nova Uniao MMA:

Andre Pederneiras, Amilca Alves, Aquiles Campos, Danilo Cherman, Eduardo Dantas, Felipe Oliviere, Giovani Diniz , Gustavo Dantas, Hacran Dias, Hernani Perpetuo, Henrique Mello, Johnny Eduardo, Jose Aldo, Leandro Batata, Leo Santos, Luis Beicao, Luis Pimpolho, Marcos Loro, Marcelino Freitas, Marlon Sandro, Marlon Moraes, Renan Barao, Robson Moura, Rodolfo Marques, Ronys Torres, Thales Leites , Vitor Ribeiro, Wagney Fabiano, & Yan Cabral.

Dear Martial Arts Advantage Family,

I wanted to personally send you and your family a very Happy New Year and wish you Success in all you set out to accomplish for 2010. I wish you the best in Health, Wealth, and Happiness in all your endeavors this New Year. Remember, no matter what challenges you've faced in 2009, you're stronger because of them, and in time understanding of these challenges will truly define who you are.

I'm proud and privileged to have you as part of our family and wanted to give you a glimpse of what's to come in this exciting New Year.

This new year we're proud to offer you the best Muay Thai curriculum ever offered. Muay Thai is the art of eight limbs. Much like American kickboxing using kicks and punches, Muay Thai also teaches the student to take advantage of devasting elbows and knees. Take advantage of this 800 calorie per workout cardio burn program now being offered in our exclusive Women's Only class every Tuesday and Thursday Morning. We're going to continue to offer our very popular family bonding & discipline classes more than 6 times per week with the addition of a Black Belts only class coming soon. Our Israeli Combat Defense program offers adults the absolute best in reality based self defense with the New Combat Fitness/Fit 2 Fight program coming to you in 2010. Be sure to take advantage of the sport's best grappling and ground survival classes that will be continued to be offered for adults with the ambition of expanding the schedule with more adult and new children's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes in 2010. We're gonna continue to offer our very exciting Camps, Pot Lucks, Seminars, Parent's Night Outs, and other events along with our Family Camping trip coming in February. These are only a few of the items in store to bring you the best programming possible that you deserve. Thank you for making 2009 so successful, and the opportunity to prove every day all the benefits of the Martial Arts. Your trust is proven day in and day out with every referral of your friends we continually see.

A Big Family Thank You,
Anthony C. Kuntz
6th Degree Black Belt
President, Martial Arts Advantage

Additional Notes: Martial Arts Advantage North Tampa celebrated its Grand Opening of its new state of the art facility with over 3000 sq. ft and will continue to grow into this amazing space. Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa is celebrating its 2nd Anniversary with one of the most beautiful academies in Tampa servicing over 250 students and poised to expand programming and amennities.

This past year, we've strived to bring you even more of the very best instruction the industry has to offer. Many academies pay their students lip service; we prefer to deliver proof through results and lead by example. Our instructors have achieved more this past year in their personal endeavors to be sure they're able to deliver to you the results in instruction you deserve.

· This new year, take advantage of the only program in the World to offer 7X World Champion Robson Moura as their personal Jiu-Jitsu instructor.
· One of only four 2nd Degree HaganaH Black Belts, Mr. Anthony C. Kuntz, in the world right here in Tampa, with 2 more instructors to achieve their Black Belts Mr. Misha Novitzky, and Mr. Chris Kuntz in January.
· Our lineage within TaeKwon-Do is undisputedly the strongest in the World with the pioneers of the World TaeKwon-Do Alliance.
· This year we're one of the only certified Muay Thai Programs in Florida through the Trans Muay Thai Association.
· The Student Instructor Training and skills learned within or Leadership Program have been concretly honed and modified by Mr. Kuntz with his expertise in Behavior Analysis Psychology through his University studies which are learned by every Leadership Student and Staff member.

As our instructors continue to grow, so do you. Join 6th Degree Black Belt Anthony C. Kuntz in his endeavors to make you the best you can be. Thank you again for being part of our Martial Arts Advantage Family.

We always have elite levels of training happening at Martial Arts Advantage, from Reality Based, Traditional, and in this clip our Sport Based Jiu-Jitsu progam with Ulimtate Fighting Championship Veteran Hermes Franca getting some mat time in with 7X World Champion Robson Moura. Check YouTube out for more videos.

Winter Belt Camp is coming along with some very Exciting classes this Holiday. Be sure to check out the events section for more details, and then go to the galleries to see some great pics of the 3rd FL Grappling Chapionship.

Another great training Saturday at Martial Arts Advantage in North Tampa.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes." -Charles Swindoll

Check out these videos with the kiddos at Martial Arts Advantage.
We had a BLAST!!!

"The Only Voice You Should Listen To Is The Voice in Your Head" ...if you listen to others, you will always have excuses for your failures. If you listen to yourself, you are 100% accountable for your results. Seek guidance from those who've succeeded in the field you're seeking, but don't listen to them...observe them and pick up what "The Voice" in your head tells you to, and discard the rest!

Mike Lee Kanarek is the founder of the Israeli Combat Defense & Fitness program "HaganaH".
Call to take your first class Free and discover the workout you've always been looking for.
813-832-8800 in South Tampa; 813-977-8800 in North Tampa

Hear what families are saying about the best academy in Tampa!

I love keeping things light and comedy seems to help in a world full of challenges that everyone says will make us stronger. One very common joke about men is when it comes to asking for directions when lost. You'll hear over and over again how "men" will never ask for directions for it is not in their "DNA", they'll meander for miles before they ever ask another for help. Hmmmm...I've seem to have misplaced this formula in my personal "DNA".

For those that know about my driving and sense of direction, too funny, they'll tell you how even after I've been some where several times, I'll still pick up the cell phone and call for help when driving. One recent memory I have is going to a local tournament venue that I had been to bunches of times over the years, and to no ones surprise, I still managed to phone a friend that happened to be in Miami at the time and have him stay on the phone with me for miles directing me until I was close to my destination. Because this dear friend knew of my tendencies, he didn't hesitate to help, and even interrupted his workout to guide me along. I'm sure I'll be calling him again real soon.

Today after a very eventful Saturday of helping organize a TaeKwon-Do family tournament, followed by 2 birthday parties for students until close to 8pm, and then driving over to North Tampa to unload the truck full of tournament equipment, I pondered this enigma of men asking for directions. Martial Arts Advantage has enjoyed some success over the years, only because of good people and families willing to help guide us along the way. I thought to myself, why are we surrounded with such good people, and with many thanks, why do they continue to help with a smile. I then smiled back and realized, all these good people from instructors, students, and families are all there because of the lack of that "DNA" component that hinders so many. I ask for directions.

Thank you to everyone that has helped our Martial Arts family succeed, and thank you for taking my call, when I needed directions. I'll be calling again soon.


Smiling back at you,
Anthony C. Kuntz
Directionally Impaired

Pajama Party is going on tonight, Birthday Parties tomorrow (on a Sunday), new Lil' Dragon Classes start on Monday, the Personal Training Sessions' just signed up one more for mornings, we've got a family picnic on the calendar for October, and we're starting a toddlers dance program in the coming weeks.

Whew!!! To say we've been busy over the last several weeks would be an understatement, but we're just getting started.

To be sure we continue to offer the best in service during this busy time, be sure to email Mr. Kuntz at Kuntz@MartialArtsAdvantage.com when you have any suggestions, and we'll be sure to get back to you with a response.

We're considering offering a morning "Women's Only" Combat Fitness/Kickboxing class if we get enough interested ladies that wanna get in shape. So...if this applies to you, be sure to email Mr. Kuntz as well.

Thank you again to all of you as part of our Martial Arts Family for your continued support.

Marcelo & Jean, Robson Moura JiuJitsu Black Belts, delivered an incredible seminar today proving their talent goes beyond words.

Thank you to everyone that participated, and be sure to look out for the next exciting Jiu-Jitsu seminar coming very soon.

Brazilian JiuJitsu Black Belts Jean Rotondaro & Marcelo Finotti (both Robson Moura Black Belts) are teaming up to present the "Advanced Basics" Seminar.

From Beginners to Advanced, you need to clear your calendar and get to this seminar.

You're gonna have a Blast!!!

Classes were great today at both locations.

Mr. Chris just finished up a very innovative HaganaH (Israeli Combat Fitness) class after great family classes, and Mr. C & Mrs. Becki rocked South Tampa with energy filled workouts as well, while Sensei Robson Moura's Jiu-Jitsu class was a blast as always.

Families are starting to get back into a routine with school starting soon, so we're excited about the upcoming fall season as we have so many awesome events coming.

Adults: be sure to bring a friend to the HaganaH review class this Saturday before certification in 2 weeks.

Families: Stay sharp, Cold War V is just around the corner.

We'll see ya'll in class, and remember the ultimate compliment you can pay your instructor and academy is to refer a friend, and even better, bring them to your class.

What a difference a day makes. In less than 24 hours, all 3100 sq. ft of space was painted, mats laid down, organized, and cleaned from top to bottom. Oh yes, and classes were a blast as well.

There's no way to say thank you to everyone that made today possible, so on this day we'll just thank Wednesday's players. Thank you to Mr. Tom for staying up so late and painting, Jeremy Henderson and the Kennedy family for being awesome, the morning class for cleaning, especially Mrs. Sherry for attacking the bathroom. Mr. Mike and Mr. Chris were amazing as usual as they arrived bushy tailed this morning at 7am and got the day started.

Tomorrow's almost here, and then comes Saturday's welcome class at noon.

Get ready North Tampa, we're gonna make a big splash.

We've decided to begin classes tomorrow August 5th at the new location.

Even though the place is still being put together, the location will be a better fit than coming to a shell of an academy.

Make yourself comfortable, heck, grab a broom or paint brush and help out if you'd like.
Over the next couple of weeks we'll be working to bring you the very best academy that you and your family deserve.

Thank you again for all of your support and patience during this transition.

MAA Staff

It was only because of all of our families support at Martial Arts Advantage (at both locations) that we are successfully able to bring you your new home in North Tampa.

This has been a crazy month with details of ups and downs that I'll spare you with at this time. We're excited about bringing you the news that Martial Arts Advantage North Tampa now has a new home on the corner of Bearss and Florida (very close to our current location).

This new location with a little tender loving care and time will be a state of the art facility that everyone will be proud of. Thank you for your continued support and patience during this process as there were so many unknowns. In fact Mr. Chris nor I actually had this new location in mind when we had began looking just a few short weeks ago. To give you a small idea of how quickly all of this has happened, a location we were trying to secure on Friday had more red tape than we wanted to deal with, so I drove by our prospective new home Monday morning, and all in one day was able to finalize an agreement. We even moved some bulk items late Monday night.

We plan on holding classes as normal at the current Nebraska location for the next couple of days until we can get some minor details taken care of. We'll keep you informed as details come available.

A BIG thank you goes out to Mr. Roger (current MAAN student) and his family for stepping up and helping us through this period. Your tireless efforts, wisdom, and endless phone calls have made this possible.

We'd also like to thank all the MAA staff for keeping things together as we were trying to figure things out. Mr. C, Mrs. Becki, and Mr. Mike have continued to run classes smoothly during all the meetings we've had. Big ups go to Max and the Smith family for keeping me sane. You guys deserve many pats on the back.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. The MAA family rocks!!!

Respectfully,
Anthony C. Kuntz
President, Martial Arts Advantage

P.S. Feel free to stop by the new location at any time to see what all the excitement is about.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or Brazilian JiuJitsu.

Are you looking for an incredible workout with real ground self defense at an academy with no egos?

Come train with 7X World Champion Robson Moura and experience training with arguably the pound for pound best in the world.

Give us a call and we'll set up your first training session for free.

Call today!!! 813-832-8800

Summer's coming to an end as families are beginning to think about the upcoming school year. Wow!, how time flies.

Before the summer ends be sure to get in those last few camps and get re-energized before the fall season.

Upcoming Camps:

Little Dragon Camp for ages 4-6 begins Monday, August 3rd in South Tampa.

X'Treme Martial Arts Camp (XMA) for ages 6 and up starts August 10th in South Tampa.

Belt Camp for ages 6 and up starts August 10th in North Tampa.

Give us a call today as we have a few spots left.

South Tampa - 832-8800
North Tampa - 977-8800

This past weekend in Japan, Sensei Robson Moura & Nova Uniao affiliate Gustavo Dantes both won their divisions.

This has been some very exciting news as Sensei Robson has been dealing with injuries.

Congratulations to both instructors as this milestone continues to solidify Tampa's premier Jiu-Jitsu training.

For more information on how to get started in the Jiu-Jitsu Programs, give us a call at 813-832-8800.

It's been 8 great years sharing the Lightning City facility along with the Wildcats Cheerleading program, and now it's time to move on.

For the past few years the building that houses the Martial Arts Advantage North Tampa location has been for sale and has seen several buyers come and go. Just this past week, we've been notified that this time a buyer is following through.

This news is really exciting because of the prospect of what the future holds for our current and future families of Martial Arts Advantage North Tampa. It was time to give Martial Arts Advantage a BIG face-lift and provide you with an academy to match the outstanding programs we've offered for years. We're in current negotiations and building permitting with a new location just up the road. We'll keep you up to date with any information we receive as it happens as updates are happening daily. What we do know is that we plan on offering the same great service your family expects with our current program and plan to offer much more in the future. One huge addition in the works, is adding an After School Karate program which will pick students up from nearby elementary schools and provide training until busy families pick up their youngsters after work. This exciting new development and program will start small with plans of expanding in the future.

A heart felt thank you goes out to all of our families that have continued to support us over the years, and the Lightning City staff, including the owner Tim that have been a pleasure to work with.

If you're interested in getting enrolled with our After School Karate program, it's important that you speak with Mr. Chris asap and get registered to reserve your spot. We have plans of only accepting 10 students in the beginning with an incredible introductory rate and fully expect these spots to go fast.

Stay tuned for future updates as we get them and thank you again for all your confidence and support.

Respectfully,
Anthony C. Kuntz
President, Martial Arts Advantage

Be sure to check out the photo gallery as we're uploading great photos of what's happening at MAA all the time.

You can even copy and save these photos for yourself or to share with friends and family.

Can you say fiesta?

What a blast! There was food, a self defense class, safety clinic, Ipod Itouch raffle off, huge obstacle course, and did we mention food?

Thank you to everyone that came out to party down at this weekend's family potluck. What a great way to network and get to know your MAA family outside of class.

Check out the incredible pictures of this weekend's event in the photo gallery.

As I felt the emotion in the room from family members and friends as my juniors received their rewards in rank in their own personal TaeKwon-Do journey, I commented on how the Black Belt ranks earned that day were in large part because of the support group each student has around them. When a student earns a Black Belt rank, everyone that has helped along the way also earns a rank. A rank more important than the cloth that is wrapped around the waist, it's a rank of love and support. Everyone that takes part in the Martial Arts experience and builds their personal story will surround themselves with loved ones that they'll thank along the way. They'll reflect on the milestones achieved, the struggles throughout, and look forward to the journey up ahead.

In my over 30 plus years of training in Martial Arts from literally all over the world, I reminisce of the story my father tells of when I was young boy that needed to be corralled. At the age of 6, the Senior Mr. Kuntz (my dad), talks about how he took me to a Bruce Lee movie and how I watched with enthusiasm and soon came home to practice what I had witnessed on the big screen on the nearest lamp in our living room while living in Japan. It was at that moment when my father decided that I needed a constructive outlet for all my energy. During that same time, I remember my mother grabbing me by the shoulders and peering into my eyes just after being beat up by the local bully for chasing girls around the playground and sternly communicating the need for me to toughen up by eating more white rice (lol). Well, that's how this journey began so many moons ago.

Friday night was a milestone in my own personal Martial Arts journey, as I was so flattered to have had so many come out to demonstrate their love and support to witness me attaining the rank of 6th Degree Black Belt.

I wanted to thank all of you that were there in person and in spirit for all of your help, and guidance along the way. From verbal affirmations to shared sweat on the mat, without you my journey would not be the same.

Thank you, and I look forward to being there on your own personal journey,

Anthony C. Kuntz
6th Degree Black Belt :)

Explain the philosophy of Balance in training Martial Arts.

A time and place for everything. What a man thinketh is what a man becomes.

Martial art is a disciplined practice of a warriors preparation and development. This in itself is the efficient application of violence to achieve peace and protection. Martial Art evolved from a basic need to protect ones family and property. These compilations of thoughts are simply an observation of where I have witnessed the Martial Arts evolve over the last 40 years. It is intended to offer perspective on what seems to be the results of many years as opposed to the results of a short while. Like the American Medical Association or the Food and Drug Administration, we should use caution in short-term approval without the knowledge of long-term effects.

Simply, a human that thinks only of violence (fighting only) will slide towards a personality of violence. This unchecked or unbalanced direction of training creates more of a menace to our society than a overall benefit. This is obvious in the many fighters behavior that have been put on display throughout the media. With the promotion of full contact Gladiator contest we have been shown a variety of behavioral personalities. Some are good and positive leadership role models, others are not. It would seem that combat training that does not teach the mental, social and moral characteristics that are usually taught to warriors create an out of control and questionable member of our society. This missing element in the development of a fighter is a strong sense of discipline and moral obligation. Those that are out of balance without this element of humanism become a spectacle of primoral violence and an unchecked threat to society.

Throughout history the elite warrior class, whether it be the legendary Samurai or the famous Hwang Rwang Do warriors, has always included a balance within their training. In the continual Yin and Yang of good and bad, dark and light, balance is a fact of universal existence. These famous warriors were trained in a full spectrum of arts both mental and physical. The balance of rigorous training and social etiquette were expected on a daily basis. The blending of cultural development such as calligraphy, art, poetry, reading, and meditation were taught along side of tactical and lethal execution of techniques for a reason. One of these reasons is to help develop a mental and moral balance within the warrior. Without this appreciation of the beauty of life and a moral obligation to society as a whole, the warrior will become more of an animalized killing machine instead of a human protector of that society.

This observation is not to say that there are not highly disciplined fighters that conduct and promote professionalism within their sport. It is worth noting that these high-end combat athletes that demonstrate a controlled and positive image seem to have a common background. This common trait is their involvement in a structured traditional training program. Whether it be a structured wrestling or boxing background or a structured martial art background, the disciplined and humble are easy to distinguish from the arrogant and obscene. The more radical, less controlled and overly outspoken competitors share more of a free style, street fighter, or brawler type background. This lack of discipline and etiquette training is not only evident but also unsettling. This is often over looked because of the entertainment that violent contest bring. Combat athletics can be very exciting, as the media phenomenon of cage fighting has taken the world by a storm. However, the purpose of this note is to share a larger more social perspective.

As professional martial art instructors, we can affect this to some extent by teaching the philosophy of balance. In this instance, balance represents the deception and treachery of sparring tactics and the beauty and artistic expression of patterns. For many years patterns have been discarded as a waste of time and not practical. Based on the method of measurement you wish to use this could be true or false. On the basis of physical training for an upcoming cage fight this may be the case when only physical measurement is used. On the basis of an overall mental, physical, and moral measurement, it is not. Within a structured well-instructed training program the appreciation and enjoyment of the patterns brings out an expression of personal art and beauty. This is a unique element in martial arts that must not be overlooked. As in most cases, it really depends on what level you wish your perspective to be.

As people get older we have a tendency to look at things on a larger and simpler scale. This includes the effect of things that occur over time. Since older people have a more realistic perspective about things evolving over time this is something everyone should consider. Perhaps common sense may be uncommon without the perspective of time proven life experiences. I feel that I am in a unique position to address this concept as I am qualified in all of the aforementioned positions. I am a traditional martial artist and instructor that enjoys combat athletic contest. Yet I have lived long enough to see the common sense of how we teach our youth is how they will become. This outcome is the future of our culture and society that we will live by and be treated by. Be careful what you teach the next generation, as they will apply this philosophy when deciding what to do with their weaker and older citizens. Proof of this is evident within our culture and how we treat and discount our seniors as opposed to the reverence and respect that many other cultures display. We should be careful not to glorify arrogance and domination with our role models, as this will certainly come back to our doorstep.

Strength in Honor, but there is only true Strength in Balance.

Grand Master S. McNeely
Modern Warrior, Traditional Instructor

So...You wanna see what Reality based training is all about?

Well students of Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa got a first hand look at training with the best in the industry.

Make no mistake, the HaganaH Israeli Combat System with founder Mike Lee Kanarek is absolutely the best.

Martial Arts Advantage has always been proud to about how we're making a splash in Tampa with the best instruction in Martial Arts.

Whether you're looking for programs for your youngster, for the family, or for yourself, come experience what the best academy in Tampa is all about.

Special thanks goes to Mr. Kanarek for taking time out of his busy schedule to teach HaganaH F.I.G.H.T. students this past Tuesday.

For more information on the any of our exciting programs, give us a call, and we'll be sure to give you the first class instruction and service you deserve.

Call us at 813-832-8800 in South Tampa, and 813-977-8800 in North Tampa.

Check out the pics in the gallery of this past Saturday's BJJ tesing held at Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa.

Sensei Robson Moura held his second Belt Testing this past Saturday with great success. Students are progressing well and prove it in every class.

Congratulations to everyone that earned their new ranks.

If you're looking to get in shape and have some fun, Robson Moura's Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Classes deliver. Give us a call to try your first class for Free.

This past weekend was action packed once again for all families of Martial Arts Advantage.

On Friday we had special week day birthday celebration for a family that we had never met. The Birthday family actually hadn't even seen the academy before. So how'd they know that Martial Arts Advantage would be the perfect place for such a momentous occasion? Well, they had another family they knew, the Millers, who raved about the instructors on how Martial Arts Advantage would be the perfect venue for such a celebration. The ultimate compliment to everyone at Martial Arts Advantage is when you refer one of your friends. Thank you Miller family, and by the way...the party went so well, the Birthday family is enrolling this week!

On Saturday, a collaboration of Martial Arts Advantage North Tampa, and Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa took part in the Lake Magdalene Elementary school spring festival. This event was such a hit with the elementary school kids, as they took part in the high energy break your first board booth. There were over 200 kids lining up all day to bust some wood. What a fun and great confidence builder.

Saturday night culminated in another parents night out with a pegs tournament. Both locations had over 30 students and friends that didn't want to go home. Too much fun! Be sure to check the gallery section filled with exciting photos.

You only really begin to appreciate the difference in skill level from the true greats when you take a step back and watch through the eyes of those who rarely get the same opportunity.

If you've never had the opportunity to train with Sensei Robson Moura, or if you're taking for granted the training you're getting from this 7X World Champion, then you're really missing the greatness of a true Master of BJJ.

I had the pleasure of traveling with Sensei Robson this past weekend and watched the faces of awe, and gasps of breaths taken when he stepped on the mat at this incredible seminar held in Arkansas.

I can't wait to get back on the mat this week to take in all the instruction in our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes this week back in Tampa.

If you're looking to host a seminar with Sensei Robson, give me a call at the academy, and I'll set it up. You're going to have a blast!!!

Call to set up your next seminar at 813-832-8800 and be sure to check out the great pics in our gallery.

Early in the cold Friday morning four of us gathered up for the 4th Annual HaganaH Conference. This was my second time attending and the memories of how exciting and invigorating the last conference was kept me anxious to get the weekend started. HaganaH is an Israeli Self-Defense and Combat Fitness program all tied up as a systematic package that is both effective and efficient. If you want to get in shape or protect yourself and your loved ones, then HaganaH is the program you should be involved in. Mike Lee Kanarek is a former Israeli Special Operations Group Commando and founder of the HaganaH system. He personally certifies every instructor and holds an annual conference to continuously enhance and upgrade the training of his instructors from all over the nation.

Besides the many many certifications and seminars Mike Lee Kanarek hosts throughout the years, this was the 4th Annual HaganaH conference. The core of the HaganaH system and conference is the F.I.G.H.T. (Fierce Israeli Guerrilla Hand-to-hand Tactics) program. For such a prestigious event he gathered up four top level instructors: Evangelos Garbis (the most experienced instructor in his system), James Cooper (combat fitness specialist), John Clarke (olympic-alternate wrestler), and Marcos Santos (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt). The event spanned the entire weekend of January 16th, 2009. The days are split up into sections so that each of the one hundred attendees can be properly prepared to absorb the jam-packed information presented. From physical fitness training to weapon disarms on the ground, all bases were covered. When, Sunday came and the weekend ended, as well as the conference, three things were certain. One, we learned a lot! There was so much invaluable information and we can not wait to pass that knowledge on. Second, we were sore. Wow, what a workout! The entire weekend kept us moving and reminded us to keep training because self-defense needs an engine to propel it. Finally, this was an unforgettable experience and we can not wait for next year's conference!

The real beneficiaries are the students! The instructors that attended the conference get to continuously develop their own personal skills, but the information and experience they attain becomes a direct benefit for the those seeking training in the F.I.G.H.T. system. The instructors maintain a passion to train and teach and the energy and knowledge from such an exciting HaganaH conference gets transferred directly to the students. One of the luckiest parts for those training in the Tampa, FL area is that this is home to Anthony Kuntz, owner of Martial Arts Advantage and it's two locations (North Tampa and South Tampa). There are different levels of rank in HaganaH, but only one belt, BLACK BELT. Anthony Kuntz was one of the first HaganaH black belts in the world. A special surprise towards the end of the 4th Annual HaganaH Conference was when Anthony was called up to receive the award for "Black Belt of the Year." Not only is this an extremely distinguished award, but further certifies that Anthony Kuntz is a master instructor and knowledgeable practitioner (further backed by his consistent training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and 5th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do).

The 4th Annual HaganaH conference was a huge success and I am glad to have been a part of it. There are many reasons as to why the F.I.G.H.T. system is so popular from everyday citizens to law enforcement officials and military professionals. One thing for sure is that for students and instructors alike the HaganaH system has helped them meet their goals and exceed them. Want to get in shape? Want to feel secure, safe, and confident every day? Is self-defense important to you or your family? Then HaganaH should be a part of your lifestyle. As for me...I have already started training in preparation for next year's conference.

Article by
Chris Kuntz
Chief Instructor, MAAN

For more information on the HaganaH F.I.G.H.T. system, Anthony Kuntz, or Martial Arts Advantage check out: http://www.MartialArtsAdvantage.com - Find about all the benefits you can achieve today!

Knife Defenses, Multiple Attackers, & Conditioning was the focus of today's adult HaganaH (Israeli Defense System) Certification.

The students of Martial Arts Advantage and Impact Martial Arts took part in upping their skills in preparation of reality striking.
The energy was high and camraderie memorable. Great work guys!

Be the Last One Standing, When Reality Strikes! That's what reality training is all about.

If you're ready to take your training to the next level, contact Mr. Anthony Kuntz in South Tampa, Mr. Chris Kuntz in North Tampa, and Mr. Alex Petrov in Westchase to get started. You're going to have a BLAST!

Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa - 813-832-8800
Martial Arts Advantage North Tampa - 813-977-8800
Impact Martial Arts Westchase - 813-600-5260

If you

Cold War 4 was a great success with academies Martial Arts Advantage - South Tampa, Martial Arts Advantage - North Tampa, and Impact Martial Arts - Westchase.

Congratulations to everyone that competed, and special thanx to all that made this event go smoothly.

Special thanx goes to Edible Arrangements for donating those incredible fruit displays that were so pretty, you didn't want to eat them. he he

Now get ready for:
1) Video Game Lock-In coming this Friday.
2) HaganaH Certification this Saturday.
3) Belt Camp Workshop, Saturday February 28th.
4) Fl Grappling Championship, Saturday March 7th.

Stay up to date with email reminders and be sure to check the events section frequently as it's constantly being updated.

If you're not receiving the events emails, then be sure to give either Mr. Anthony Kuntz or Mr. Chris Kuntz your email address to add to the data base.

Things Could've gone REAL BAD for Amy Friday night. Being mentally and physically prepared at all times is crucial in case of the worst case scenario, and that's just what Amy was.

Here's her Story, in her own words...

So, I saw a guy Friday I haven't seen since almost a year ago. He didn't recognize me. He saw my shirt (I had on the MAA shirt that says Eat. Sleep. Train.) so he asked me about it. After I told him what I had been doing he had the gall to grab me VERY inappropriately. It took a second for it to register in my mind that he had actually done it. All the while his hand is still there. Once I processed it I backed away. At this point he begun slapping at me (not trying to hit me, but in the same style that you do when you are telling us to smack away our partners hands when we are punching). After a few slaps I managed to get out of his range to the left. At that moment it all clicked in my mind. I couldn't get a clinch from how we were standing; the next thing I knew I had him in POR (point of reference) #1. I put a knee to his groin without really delivering the force and told him if he touched me again I would follow thru with it. Needless to say he left me alone and his friend told him it would probably be a good idea not to touch me again in that manner. So of course he backed off. His friend apologized and said he was just drunk. I know that it was completely out of character for him so I didn't take it any further than it already went. There was no point in it; not only would it not phase him but I doubt he'll even remember it.

I felt threatened by him. He is always on all kinds of pills and still drinks while he is on them. He is the person you always mention who doesn't feel pain simply because he is always so messed up. I have NEVER been so glad to have taken this class than I was Friday night. I seriously think had I not been able to defend myself the situation would have gotten bad quickly. So, I can't thank Chris, Becki, Tara and especially you enough. I feel like I owe you guys a lot now!!!

I can't thank you enough for how much you guys have helped me. The support, motivation and positive attitude I feel when I walk in that academy is like nothing I have ever experienced unless I am around my family.

Thank you very much,

Amy
HaganaH Student

Amy's been a student of the HaganaH F.I.G.H.T program (Israeli Defense System) for only a few months, and has already lost over 30 lbs and credits the training she's been getting at Martial Arts Advantage for keeping her safe.

I wanted to share this story as lesson for all of us interested in staying safe and fit, especially when things in an instance could go horribly wrong.

Tell all your friends, forward this story, and get going in the most advanced and Realistic Defense Training System available for only $39 this month.
If you're not completely satisfied after getting started, just let us know, and we'll refund your money with no questions asked. What do you have to lose, what you have to gain is the confidence and know how in protecting yourself and your loved ones.

Respectfully,
Anthony C. Kuntz
HaganaH Black Belt of the Year, 2008

In an impromptu session, Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa, had the pleasure of having 3 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters getting in some last minute training before their big debuts in Tampa at Ultimate Fight Night.

Hermes Franca, Josh Neer, Jeremy Stephens, and a couple of Iowa State Champion wrestlers were just a few of the special guests that were on hand at tonights training session.

Having a 7X World Champion such as Robson Moura as our coach has its perks. The best of the best wanna train with him, and that means that students get to amp their training with all of these legends and up and coming fighters.

If you missed tonight's training session, you missed a good one. It won't be the last, so be on the look out for all the celebrities that come through our doors.

Check out the photos in the gallery section.

Over the years I have first hand witnessed the benefits students receive when doing seminars and especially safe competitions.

I remember from early on during my high school wrestling seasons that the fellow team mates I had that took advantage of tournaments and camps, seemed to always be the standouts. Was this purely a coincidence? Probably not, as I refer back to the cliche of the harder you train, the luckier you get.

I've personally competed in competitions at every level in my martial arts journey from World, National, and State Championships, and have always come back with invaluable lessons that exponentially improved my level.
To this day, I seek out training opportunities to better myself to be the best Instructor for you. Heck, I just came back from Ft. Lauderdale, with a grueling 4 day workshop with Mike Lee Kanarek and the Israeli Combat Defense system of HaganaH.

So, if you're an avid competitor, congratulations, your courage in competing will reap benefits that will last you a lifetime. If you're on the fence about competitions...use my experience as your teacher and get competing!!!

Respectfully,
Anthony C. Kuntz
President, Martial Arts Advantage

Upcoming Tournaments:

Cold War IV - TaeKwon-Do Family Tournament - February 14th, 2009

2nd Fl Grappling Championship - Jiu-Jitsu/Submission Grappling for all ages and experience levels - March 7th, 2009

VIP: Very Involved Parent Month

This month we've already had several parents take advantage of the incredible training opportunity of training with their kids.

Here at Martial Arts Advantage we're always striving to make this the most family friendly academy in Tampa, while being able to offer convenient classes that your whole family can enjoy together.

Ask about our special 50% off tuition family program that allows parents to get training with their youngster. This offer is good through January.

Also, mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

February 14th - Cold War IV (Family TaeKwon-Do Tournament)
February 20th - Parents Night out in South Tampa
February 21st - HaganaH Rank Certification in South Tampa
March 7th - 2nd Florida Grappling Championship

These and many more events are coming soon. Be sure to check the events calendar for all the details on the Martial Arts Advantage website.

This past weekend Martial Arts Advantage Students celebrated another milestone towards Black Belt Leadership Excellence.

Congratulations to all TaeKwon-Do students that graduated and have continued to strive for constant and never ending improvement in having all your goals come true.

Be a VIP: Very Involved Parent

Dear Students,

Happy New Year! There are so many things happening this year to make your experience with us even better than before. Here's what's in it for you and your family this year.

Family Classes

Our focus this year will be on the family. With a tight economy, we have all had to cut back a little. What we don't want to cut back on are activities that bring families closer together. The MAA team and I understand it is hard to take time for yourself. To accommodate our busy lifestyles, the MAA team and I decided to extend our Very Special Family Program and ever so popular family classes. We now have 6 convenient family class times for you being offered Monday thru Thursday. This will give you the opportunity to do something positive as a family. Parents can get in shape, spend some quality time with your children and get it all done with any one of these classes. We are encouraging all parents to participate if you are healthy enough to do so. We will extend a 50% discount to any parent that wants to participate in the family classes. There will be no additional charge if both parents want to join. Please participate in our "VIP Parent Week" January 12-16. "VIP" means Very Involved Parent. This week will be an opportunity for all parents to get your feet wet and try classes without any obligation. If you want your kids to do well, set an example and do it with them.

So, what are you waiting for??? There are no more excuses to get started. Take the first step and talk to either Mr. Chris or myself and lets get going.

I'm very excited in being a part in reaching all your goals for 2009.

To get started call:
North Tampa (Mr. Chris) 813-977-8800
South Tampa (Mr. Kuntz) 813-832-8800

Respectfully,
Anthony C. Kuntz
President
Martial Arts Advantage

Happy New Year to our Martial Arts Families!!!

Thank you for your support in 2008 and being part of our family.

May all your goals be reached for 2009 as we'll be there to help you every step of the way.

Anthony C. Kuntz
President, Martial Arts Advantage

Congratulations to everyone that graduated this past weekend as everyone showed that a lot of hard work went into the last 8 weeks.

Special congrats go to Palmer B. who received his 1st Degree Black Belt, Mark F. recieved his 2nd Rec. Black Belt, Anthony S. & Andreas C. who both received their 2nd Degree Black Belts, and Justin F. who received his 3rd Rec. Black Belt.

Thank you to everyone that made this weekend another great success. Especially Parents, Black Belts and MAA Staff that put forth such a tremendous effort. Without your help, this past weekend would not have been possible.

Thank you,
Anthony C. Kuntz
President MAA

This weekend's going to be busy. Check the events section and be sure you're there.

Saturday - MMA Class at 10:30am

HaganaH Rank Certification -
Kids 12pm; Adults at 2pm

Real Fighting Championships at 7:30pm

Today is Chief Instructor of MAAN Mr. Chris Kuntz's Birthday!

Be sure to wish him a special Birthday and offer him LOTS of Spankings!!!

This past weekend I traveled with Mr. Mike Lee Kanarek, the founder of the HaganaH System on a 9-hour road trip to beautiful South Carolina. This road trip was specifically designed to improve our cross training methodologies so we could stay on the cutting edge to deliver the highest instruction possible to our students.

In the pursuit of constant and never ending improvement here at Martial Arts Advantage, our instructors love to lead by example. Mr. Kanarek and myself attended a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu camp with the Legendary Machados. All 5 brothers were on the mat at once, and were very hands on in helping us improve our grappling skills.

The trip was not inexpensive, however when you reach a certain level of expertise in several fields you must travel to grow.

It was a great trip and a great learning experience which will be trickled down to every student at the academy. We put the sweat, tears, and finances up to ensure the highest quality of instruction is passed on.

Happy "Improved" Training, and we'll see you on the mat!

Anthony Kuntz

Hello Everyone,

Hope all is well. We are fast approaching the special trip to Russia for the International Youth Taekwon-Do Championships in Moscow, Nov. 1. The age groups are 17, 16, & 15 years of age, male and female and 14, 13, & 12 years of age male and female. We will be competing in Team patterns and continuous sparring. I will be scheduling team training as soon as I get confirmation from those wishing to attend. The airfare is running about 900-1200 dollars depending on your point of origin. They have told me that the hotel will run about 25 dollars per day and the meals will be about 25 dollars per day. Please contact Praissa Travel at 972-398--3000 for any questions about visa's, connecting flights, international baggage guidelines, or passports. There is still time but we must act now.

On another note, some people have indicated some concern about the political climate involving Georgia. I am assured by several agencies that there is nothing out of the normal in Moscow that would create any possibility of threat. Moscow is a long way from the border countries and has a great deal to see and take in. This will literally be the trip of a lifetime for some people. Please recommend this opportunity to your students as I will be traveling with them first hand. I hope that you are able to attend with me as this is going to be an excellent trip that will include opportunities of touring, shopping, and experiencing the Russian culture that you will never forget. This is a chance to participate in one of the great adventures that you have heard many other seniors speak of in the past. Please take a moment to post the attached flier and if you will please forward this message to your student email base for maximum exposure. Thank you and let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,

GM McNeely
World Taekwon-Do Alliance in Action

Everyone that plans on participating in the exciting Cold War tournament, needs to be registered this week so we can have all the trophies ordered and prepared for you.

If you have any questions, please ask your instructor.

Hello,

I hope everyone is doing well. I wanted to update you on some important events that many of you have asked about. First off, I am actively seeking junior competitors that would like to travel with me to Moscow to compete in the International Taekwon-Do Youth Championships Nov. 1. The ages of the teams are 17, 16, & 15 male and female and 14, 13, & 12 male and female. We would arrive in Moscow on Oct. 29 and depart Nov. 4th. Please post this to any of your students that may be interested and advise me as soon as possible so that I can arrange proper training schedules. The following is some of the expenses involved:

1. Airfare is coordinated through Prassia Travel - 972-398-3000 (rates are time and demand calculated- sooner the better) Prassia can handle all visa and passport questions, they are very good.
2. Hotel is going to cost approximately $25 per day per person ( name of hotel not yet received)
3. Meals are going to run about $20-30 per day per person.(further negotiation is ongoing to reduce this even further-more info to follow)
4. Transportation from airport to hotel is approximately $15 per person.(one way)
5. Any additional shopping or touring would be extra.

Depending on the number of participant attending, I am going to organize one day of group touring around Moscow and one day of free time to shop and explore as you would like. Exact price of the guided bus tour will follow.

I hope that you can attend as this will definitely be a trip of a life time. Bring a camera as there will be awesome photo opportunities with the various countries in attendance.

More info to follow. Take care and train hard.

Regards,
Grand Master S. McNeely

Remember, there are new classes and adjustments to the schedules at both Martial Arts Advantage North and South Tampa.

Pick up your new schedule this week in class.

There are no classes this Monday, September 1st in honor of Labor Day.

Spend some time with your family and have a safe holiday from all of us at Martial Arts Advantage.

Be sure to check the events section for the latest news with this weekend's "End of Summer Buddy Bash" and "Star Wars Clone Movie Outing" this weekend!

Come to Yoga Class this Saturday!!!

Remember we have Yoga Class this Saturday at 12:00pm. Tell your friends and be ready for a great workout and stretching class at:

Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa
3801 S. Manhattan Ave
Tampa, Fl 33611

Copy and Paste the link below to check out MAA on FOX!

http://tinyurl.com/maaonfox

This past weekend's graduation was a huge success and there were many notable ranks achieved.

The most notable Black Belt ranks accomplished this weekend were: Connor Reigle - 2nd Degree Recommended, Sherry Sweeney - 2nd Degree, Barry Ogletree - 2nd Degree, Mike Ward - 3rd Recommended, Carlos Morales - 3rd Degree, and Chris Poli - Red Collar.

These Black Belts will especially remember this past weekend as one in which was more like a training camp than simply graduating to their next rank. The amount of sparring rounds which included 1 on 1, 2 on 1, and 3 on 1, were rigorous and exhausting as each Black Belt was tested beyond what they normally would have thought was possible.

Congratulations to all that graduated and endured in their personal milestones. This graduatin will be remembered as one of the best training platforms of their lives.

Be sure to check out some of the pics of the graduation in the gallery held at Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa.

Fox 13 is coming to do a taping of the new opening of Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa Friday, July 25th from 10am-12pm.

We need 15 TaeKwon-Do Students and ALL Adult HaganaH students.

Call or Email Mr. Anthony Kuntz to reserve your spot!
Kuntz@MartialArtsAdvantage.com or 813-832-8800.

Beginning this week at Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa, the Robson Moura Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes have expanded to 7 classes per week with an additional Noon time class. Stop by the academy or give Anthony Kuntz a call at 813-832-8800 to get your updated schedule.

Martial Arts Advantage saw a packed house with students and instuctors from as far as Virginia and Illinois to take part in the most exciting seminar held in beautiful Tampa, Fl.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champions Robson Moura and Marcelo Pareira, along with WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) top contender Richard Crunkilton were on hand showing the secrets that have made them the best in the world.

Stay tuned for the next exciting seminar coming soon with more world champion guest instructors, and be sure to go to the picture gallery to see all the action.

The sportive history of this "Carioca" begins in 1988 at the age of 10 when he started training in Jiu Jitsu in his hometown Teresopolis (a small town in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro) having Jucao as his trainer. Robinho was supported and encouraged by his family, especially his father, and soon he became a champion collecting some regional titles and as Jucao moved to Rio, Robinho started to train with Masters Andre Pederneiras and Wendel from the Nova Uniao" team. By the time he achieved some new national and international titles, he turned out to be very respected and esteemed and considered to have a proficient and competitive way of fighting Jiu Jitsu.

At 18 he achieved his greatest dream by becoming a Black Belt and today he is one of the most valued fighters in this "Sports World".

Professor Robson Moura

3rd Degree Black Belt, 145 pounds and the best that has ever walked the planet.

In addition to his Academy in Tampa, Fl, Robson directs two academies in Brazil and a world wide network of school under the banner of the Robson Moura Nova Unia0n Jiu Jitsu Association.

Competition Accomplishments:

World Championships: 7
Years 1996/1997/1998/1999/2000/ 2002/2007

Brazilian Championships for Team: 6
Years 1997/1998/2000/2001/2002/ 2003

U.S. Nationals Pro Black Belt Champion: 2007

LA Sub X Champion: 2006

Pan American Championships: 2
Years: 1996 & 2007 - Los Angeles CA.

Rio de Janiero Championships: 8
Years: 1990/1991/1992/1993/ 1994/1995/1996/1997

Sao Paulo Championships: 3
Years:

Netherlands Open Championship: 1
Years: 1996

Challenge Med Cannibal Champion: 1
Year: 1996

Come meet Robson this Saturday and help celebrate his New home at Martial Arts Advantage teaming up with Anthony Kuntz in beautiful Tampa, Florida.

Robson Moura's his name...Now google him.

Then come to the FREE seminar on July 5th celebrating his new home at Martial Arts Advantage in Tampa, Fl teaming up with Anthony Kuntz to bring you the best in BJJ.

Thank you to everyone that was able to come out to Master Dring's seminar Thursday night. It was a packed house and everyone I spoke with left with looks of such awe and excitement at the empowerment they felt in being better able to protect themselves.

Master Danny Dring didn't disappoint as his energy was infectious and his sharing of knowledge was so appreciated.

Please check out Master Dring's website at www.LivingDefense.com and contact him with any kudos or questions. Master Dring walks the walk and truly exemplifies what a Master should be.

Thank You Master Dring, and we can't wait for the next one!!!

We've had so many kind words expressed about the joys and benfits of training at Martial Arts Advantage. I wanted to share some with you from Mercedes Seymour who turns 70 in July.

Anthony Kuntz

Hello Sir,

Now that graduation is here it is another step in the promise of reaching the "why" I began. For the day I walked up to you, that was my first graduation.

I had to find my space, to know how to walk, stand and even to breath in my space. The essence of my self surrounding me and how far could I reach out without moving.

For me to move, without the fear of gelatin beneath my feet, to feel the power in a stance, in a step, in the movement of my arms and my hands has given me back the power of mind, self and speech.

People say my face has changed, They want to know how I became so strong as to be a "presence" in the room.

The greatest gift you have helped me bring to my self -- is the gift of my "Quiet Mind".

Thank you,
Mercedes Seymour
(69 years young)
Future Black Belt, Sir!

Come to Yoga Class this Saturday!!!

Remember we have Yoga Class this Saturday at 12:00pm. Tell your friends and be ready for a great workout and stretching class at

Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa
3801 S. Manhattan Ave
Tampa, Fl 33611

We had another Super weekend beginning with the Real Fighting Championships on Friday night and then our board breaking workshop on Saturday, finishing up with some great stretching in our Yoga class.

Thank you to everyone that came out, and congratulations to our pro Fight Team and to all of you Board Breakers! Good stuff.

Be on the look out for pictures coming soon.

Remember...there are No Classes this Monday in Observance of Memorial Day.

Have a Safe Holiday

Who am I and why should you choose me as your personal trainer?

Some of you may have heard my story and some of you may not have. I was recently inspired to share some thoughts by watching other professionals share their knowledge, and knowing what makes Martial Arts Advantage the right fit in when you have goals that need that little extra. We love helping people get through the normal ruts and plateaus of physical fitness and self-defense.

My name is Anthony Kuntz and like you I wear many hats on a day-to-day basis. I'm an uncle, son, brother, god father, friend, mentor, student, business owner, Martial Artist, professional photographer, etc...

Over the years IÕve run several businesses including one in 1996, which certified aerobics instructors and personal trainers for the YMCA, Shapes, and private gyms during the Tae Bo era. It was then that I realized the lack of knowledge that these so called professionals were passing along with very limited knowledge themselves. I said to myself, "Wow, I can do what these personal trainers and Instructors can do at a much higher level".

I've trained with several world champions including Atonio Tarver (Boxing World Champion), Cung-Le (San-Shou & MMA Champion), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (MMA UFC Champion, Juanito Ibarra (Champion trainer to more than 10 World Champions), Marcelo Garcia (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion), blah, blah, blah... to name a few.

On a regular basis I continue to work with personal trainers and professional fighters which some hold in high regard as a great coach just because of their accomplishments in the cage or ring. Just because someone is accomplished themselves in what they do doesnÕt necessarily transcend to being able to pass along their knowledge base. How many times have you met a college graduate that came across as a complete imbecile? How many times did you go away from a personal training session thinking, "I don't get it, or I can't do this!". Personally I've met many "Masters" over the years that couldn't find a girdle large enough to fit the girth of their belly, which of course housed all their knowledge. Is it your fault that you're not reaching your goals?, that you're bored or just can't get it? There are so many variables in reaching your goals, however maybe it's your trainer that isn't doing what they promised.

Sure I've personally trained around the world including in Japan, Korea, and throughout Europe in Martial Arts and in the fitness industry. Sure I've accomplished many Black Belts in different Martial Arts, and have won and placed in international and state titles and such. But what does all of this have to do with you and your goals? NADA!, that means nothing when your coach or trainer doesn't fulfill your needs. The real question is not what a coach has accomplished, but what can a coach bring out of you? I know I can be the coach you've always wanted.

So here's the bottom line. Call me to set up your first personal training session for FREE! We'll do an analysis of what you hope to achieve, and then see how I can help. Whether you're a housewife looking to lose a few pounds, or an active duty personnel getting ready to fight the war overseas, I know I can help.

I hope this little blog will give some insight as to who I am, and hopefully inspire others to give me a call to set up their first personal training experience with me. Lets get there together!!!

"Let me help you get there!"

Respectfully,
Anthony Kuntz
Martial Arts Advantage Coach

Check out the latest events coming to Maritial Arts Advantage by simply clicking and checking the events section every week.

Here's a sample of some great events that have been scheduled:

Copa America Grappling Championships - May 17th

Board Breaking Workshop - May 24th

Graduation - May 31st

Summer Camps starting in June

Come enjoy and compete with some of the best competition in the world Saturday, May 17th.

All ages & ranks are welcome to participate in this incredible tournament.

There will be a $1000 award in the Absolute No Gi division and $500 award in the Absolute Gi division.

Get registered with your instructor today!

Board Breaking Workshop Scheduled has been scheduled for Saturday, May 24th at Matial Arts Advantage South Tampa.

Come bust some wood! You'll have a blast, learn to understand the principles of power, and build some great confidence.

This workshop is open to ages 6 and above. You can even invite some friends to this incredible workshop and safely learn the proper techniques to focus your energy.

Get registered with Mr. Anthony Kuntz or Mr. Chris Kuntz today.

At this weekend's 60th Israeli Independence Day Anniversary festival in Tampa, Martial Arts Advantage was on hand as the authority in Israeli Martial Arts.

Demonstrations and training went on throughout the day, by the HaganaH Certified Instructors from Martial Arts Advantage. Gun disarms were the specialty of the day, with instructors and students displaying and honing their skills in the most effective training system in the world.

Special thanks goes out to the MAA staff, students and the Jewish community for hosting this spectacular event.

We made history this weekend at Matial Arts Advantage South Tampa with our first birthday parties and the comments were unanimous...Martial Arts Advantage has the BEST Birthday Parties!!!

We've done hundreds of Birthday Parties over the years and this past weekend started off with a bang holding 2 of the biggest and most fun parties ever. These were the first in South Tampa with Saturday's party with about 50 kids, and Sundays party with just over 40.

Some of the exciting events included: a Black Belt Leadership Class, Black Belt demonstrations of skill, an awesome cutting of the cake with a Sumurai Sword, and fun, fun, fun.

Parents were so relaxed and surprised that they were able to socialize all day while the kids were capitvated for 2 solid hours. Our parties are definitely the best.

Stay tuned for upcoming pictures of these great parties coming to the gallery, and reserve your next party today.

We're having another Big and Exciting weekend at Martial Arts Advantage in South Tampa.

Remember Yoga class is this Saturday at 12pm, bring your friends and get stretched!

Attention Black Belts

If you'd like to help in this weekends Demonstrations, we're having 2 at Christ the King Church and will also be putting on demonstrations at 2 big birthday parties as well.

This is a great way to boost your motivation and show off all your skills. Give Mr. Anthony Kuntz a call at 813-832-8800 or email him at kuntz@martialartsadvantage.com if you're interested.

Cross-training is the heart and soul of a well rounded martial artist. All the instructors here at Martial Arts Advantage North and South Tampa cross-train. What is cross-training? Simply put, it is taking your experience, knowledge, fitness, and wisdom beyond one realm and into many realms of martial arts, self-defense, combative, or physical training information.

Chris Kuntz – 3rd Degree Black Belt (TaeKwon-Do), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Practitioner (Blue Belt), HaganaH F.I.G.H.T. Instructor, and Chief Instructor of Martial Arts Advantage North in Tampa, Fl.

Looking over that brief list of credentials you can see that I try to work several aspects of the martial arts or cross-training. The big deal today, thanks to the UFC, is MMA or mixed martial arts. This past weekend I was fortunate enough to attend the National HaganaH Headquarters in Davie, Fl for a certification beyond conventional MMA. I got to play with knives.

Part of being a HaganaH F.I.G.H.T. (which stands for Fierce Israeli Guerrilla Hand-to-hand Tactics) Instructor is keeping up my training under Mike Lee Kanarek, master instructor and founder of the HaganaH system. Mike Lee Kanarek is one of the most knowledgeable and charismatic instructors you will ever encounter with a long list of amazing credentials in the martial arts and beyond, including being deployed as part of the Israeli Special Forces.

The knife is the ultimate equalizer in any self-defense scenario; clearly emphasizing the importance of increasing our skills in all facets of wielding such a tool. The Israeli Tactical Knife (ITK) Certification was a two day adventure getting the chance to work the offensive and defensive techniques involved with the knife.

In the F.I.G.H.T. system you learn defenses versus an enraged knife wielding attacker and against being threatened at “knife point,” so to speak. The ITK Certification goes beyond that and it was enlightening, fun, and invigorating learning how to counter common knife attacks while using a blade of your own. Plus, I know the cross-training improved my confidence in other areas of the martial arts including upping my hand speed.

Overall, the weekend was an informative blast. From the tire-flipping, mma drilling wake up call on Saturday morning to the eye opening knife sparring late Sunday afternoon, there are not enough good things to be said. So much so, that my two previous attempts to jot down my thoughts and experiences this weekend were hitting the two page mark and I had yet to even get to the meat and potatoes. I think it also stems from the fact that I like to babble.

What is clear though, is that every time I attend a certification or seminar it is inspiring for me to step up and continue my training right away when I get home. Each seminar sets a new bar for me to upgrade myself to. That way I know I am living the philosophy of constant and never-ending improvement. What else is clear…I can not wait until the next training session.

Ms. Sarah Perez, the newest member of our staff instructing our Yoga classes, mixed things up today to help our breathing, flexibility, and strength using some great postures.

We had another great turn out at the Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa location with students from the ages of 10 to 60. Tell all your friends about this incredible class, and we'll see you next Saturday at 12pm.

If you have any questions be sure to call or email Anthony Kuntz @ 813-832-8800/kuntz@martialartsadvantage.com

After several months of behind the scenes work the new website redesign has launched! Check out all the new pages and tell us what you think.

Also, we're still working out some kinks so excuse any glitches. If you do happen across some, let us know about those too.

And, hey...if there's something you would like added to the website -- tell us about that!

Email us at: web@martialartsadvantage.com or maa@martialartsadvantage.com

Only $50 per month or $15 per class.We had a blast at our 1st Yoga class and now we're offering it every Saturday @ 12pm at Martial Arts Advantage South, so Tell your Friends.

Sarah our newest addition to Martial Arts Advantage has extensive experience including teaching the Marines in Japan!



Check out some of her credentials:
I have been teaching yoga for over five years, 21/2 of those years was working for United States Marine Corps in Japan. My yoga teachers and influences have included Dominic Coriglino, and Saisha Petersen, and I recently traveled to Thailand to expand my teaching style to include Ashtanga Yoga.

Fitness has been apart of my life for a long time, and got my passion from my mother who teaches aerobics. I became interested in yoga when when I attended massage therapy school, and have been practicing ever since.

My style combines Hatha, Yogafit, and Power Yoga, I'll see you in class!

Certifications Include:
AFPA Group Certification
Massage Therapy Certification
CPR Certified
IDEA Member

This is a Great class to improve your health & flexibility.This class is included for allLeadership Students ages 10 and Up.Tell Mr. Kuntz you wanna Yoga!or call 832-8800

What an incredible Belt Rank Workshop!

Congratulations to everyone that graduated to their next rank. You worked hard, learned new techniques, and even had a few surprises!

Students at this exciting workshop enjoyed the Black Belt demonstrations of power board breaks, advanced patterns, busted their own boards (some for the first time), participated in a special seminar by yoga expert Sara, and finished off the day with some pegs and grappling.

This workshop was a jam packed day of fun and was a great way to really understand the art of Tae Kwon-Do and other martial arts.

If you missed this workshop, stay tuned for the next one. You'll have a blast!

Check out the events section to learn more details about upcoming exciting events.

Here are few teasers:
Belt Camp Workshop
Spring Break Camp
Grappling and Self Defense Class
March 29th Graduation

Classes have just been added to the New South Tampa Location!

So many students have asked for more!!! So we listened and have just added some exciting new class times and even added a Family HaganaH/Grappling Class.

Come by the academy and pick up your new schedule, tell all your friends or just bring them to class, and lets get training!

Keep training hard and we'll see you in Class!!!

P.S. Belt Rank Graduation Seminar is scheduled for March 15th!
Earn your next belt rank in this 5 hour workshop from 10am - 3pm. This workshop is open for the first 10 students (ages 6 - Adult) that register and is only $250 which includes graduation.

P.S. Graduation is set for March 29th for both locations and will be held in South Tampa. Everyone should be ready to put on a show, and Lets celebrate this incredible milestone in your journey to Black Belt Leadership Excellence!

2nd Site Is Martial Arts Advantage

By MARK HOLAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 30, 2008

TAMPA - Martial Arts Advantage has opened a second location at 3801 S. Manhattan Ave.

The academy has taught tae kwon do, jujitsu and other techniques at 14214 N. Nebraska Ave. for eight years.

The new 2,800-square-foot location is open for viewing from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays until the grand opening in March, said owner and chief instructor Anthony Kuntz, a 30-year martial arts veteran.

"It's a great facility for the whole family to train together," Kuntz said. "It's a real fun atmosphere."

Kuntz said martial arts can instill self-esteem and discipline in children and provide fitness and confidence for adults.

"We do everything from housewives to homeland security," he said.

For information, call (813) 832-8800 or go to www.MartialArtsaAdvantage.com.

to see the article go to:
http://southtampa2.tbo.com/content/2008/jan/30/st-2nd-site-is-martial-arts-advantage/

Check out the updated gallery for photos from all the exciting events that took place in January.

Wow!!!

What a whirlwind events that have already come and gone, and it's only January!

The year started off with your instructors staying true to the "walk the talk" belief system that they preach in every class they're in. Your chief instructors Anthony Kuntz (S. Tampa), Chris Kuntz (N. Tampa), and Alexey Petrov (Westchase) attended the 3rd annual Israeli Combat Defense system HaganaH conference to solidify our Reality Based trainiing methodology. What an incredible experience with the top of the food chain instructors. Special Thanks go to Mike Lee Kanarek for hosting such an incredible event with close to 100 International instructors.

That training seminar was immediately followed by Mr. Anthony Kuntz traveling to Las Vegas to hone his Mixed Martial Arts training with UFC World Champion Quinton Rampage Jackson. This training camp was an elite showing of world class coaches in Boxing, Wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, and of course always entertaining Rampage Methodologies. What a BLAST! Special Thanks goes to Throwdown and Director of Operations Justin for putting together a weekend to remember.

This gasparilla weekend the training continued with 9th Degree Grand Master Scott McNeely. GM McNeely honored students of the USTF with technical training in our traditional systems mastery with history and cross training applications to keep students thriving to be their ultimate best.

We're off to a great start of the new year, not to mention the starting of classes in MAA's state of the art facility in South Tampa.

Stay tuned for more upcoming exciting events and the Grand Opening of South Tampa scheduled for March.

Friday (Jan 25th) @ Westchase Impact Martial Arts
Colored Belts · 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Black Belts · 6:30pm - 9:00pm

9652 W Linebaugh Ave · Tampa, FL 33626
813) 600-5260


From North Tampa:
1) Take Bearss Ave. WEST
2) Continue on Bearss Ave. as it turns into Ehrlich Rd
3) LEFT on Gunn Hwy
4) Gunn Hwy turns slightly left and turns into Sheldon Rd
5) Turn right at Linebaugh Ave.
6) Westchase Impact Martial Arts will be in the big plaza on your left.

From South Tampa:
1) Take S Dale Mabry Hwy NORTH
2) Turn LEFT on Kennedy Blvd
3) Continue on Kennedy as it makes a slight right.
4) Continue on Veterans Exwy signs for (Air Cargo/Veterans Exwy/SR-589-TOLL N)
Toll Road
5) Take Exit 7 for Linebaugh Ave.
6) Continue straight. Westchase Impact Martial Arts will be in the big plaza on your left.

Saturday (Jan 26th) @ Martial Arts Advantage South Tampa
Colored Belts · 9:00am - 10:30am
Black Belts · 11:00am - 4:00pm

3801 S. Manhattan Ave. · Tampa, FL 33611
813) 832-8800


From North Tampa:
1) Take I-275 SOUTH
2) Take Exit 40B for Lois Ave
3) Turn LEFT at Lois Ave
4) Continue couple miles straight on Lois Ave.
5) Slight RIGHT at Henderson Ave
6) Continue on S Manhattan Ave
7) Martial Arts Advantage South is on the corner of Mahattan Ave and Euclid Rd.

From Westchase:
1) Head east on Linebaugh Ave.
2) Take the SR-589-TOLL S ramp to I-275
3) Merge on Veterans Exwy (Toll Road)
4) Continue straight on N Memorial Hwy as it turns into Kennedy Blvd
5) Turn RIGHT on Westhore Blvd
6) Turn LEFT on Bay to Bay Blvd
7) Turn RIGHT at S Manhattan Ave
8) Martial Arts Advantage South is on the corner of Mahattan Ave and Euclid Rd.

Dear Martial Arts Family,

Martial Arts Advantage started at a local country club with satellite locations throughout Tampa Bay, and has since blossomed into a full time professional academy in North Tampa. With our National and International affiliations, we have made many strides over the years to bring you the very best in Black Belt Leadership Training, developing highly skilled Black Belts Leaders that continue to be leaders beyond the martial arts world into our community.

Martial Arts Advantage has continued to learn and grow because of great families like yours. From students earning their Black Belts to our incredible staff that has also developed from your support, we wanted to be sure you knew how much we value our relationship with you.

Well here we grow again! Many students have asked about locations beyond North Tampa, and last year we brought you an affiliate Martial Arts academy in West Chase with the opening of Impact Martial Arts. Beginning in the New Year of 2008, Martial Arts Advantage will open its second academy to accommodate the need of a high quality martial arts program in South Tampa to continue to spread the leadership and self-defense lessons the way only the Martial Arts can.

The South Tampa location will have the same family values and cutting edge training of our North Tampa location with state of the art safety flooring and equipment necessary for quality training; however such a quality facility is only complete with Master Instructors and Mentors. With that in mind, 5th Degree Black Belt Mr. Anthony Kuntz will lead the Martial Arts Advantage Team bringing on board Champions Way consulting firm to help stream line communication and class room procedures, and special mentors such as 9th Degree Black Belt Grand Master McNeely the head of the International Organization World TaeKwon-Do Alliance.

The North Tampa location will continue to bring you the very best in customer service and instruction with the continued leadership of 3rd Degree Black Belt Mr. Chris Kuntz and team members Mike Ward, and Chris Poli. With the development of the South Tampa location, and recent addition of our special partners, we will be able to bring you even more opportunities that will enhance your training. Future plans include more leadership seminars, tournaments, International training opportunities, a stronger National presence, out of class room team building events, and the greater flexibility of cross training in any of our affiliate academies throughout Tampa.

Get ready Martial Arts Advantage family; this year is going to prove to be another milestone in the building of our martial arts family. Stay tuned for the latest updates coming soon.

I am looking forward to another exciting year with you and your family.

Respectfully,
Anthony C. Kuntz

Get Ready!!! Cold War II tournament has been scheduled. Check out the events section for details and gear up your training for this spectacular event.

We apologize about the outage of our website this weekend. It was beyond our control and we apologize for any inconvenience this caused any of our families here at Martial Arts Advantage!

The good news is everything is back online and in order. Check back for more updates soon.

And don't forget about the Wii Give Away!

That's right! Martial Arts Advantage is giving away a Nintendo Wii to one lucky student.

Here's how it works...

We're looking for great students and family members just like yours. All you have to do is pick the name and phone number of a friend or family member as kool as yours that would like to try TaeKwon-Do classes. For every name and phone number you bring in, you'll get to spin the prize wheel to win awesome prizes and see how many raffle tickets you'll receive for the Nintendo Wii drawing.

That's all you have to do, and you pick who gets to train with you!!! We know you have some great friends as brilliant as your family to refer to the academy. We'll give them a call and set up a time for them to come try a class for FREE. AND...if they enroll, we'll even give you an additional 25 tickets for the raffle.

It's just that easy. So pull out your cell phones and address books to see which friends you'd like to invite.

Thank you again for all your support in building Martial Arts Advantage!

Now that we're all back in the groove of our fall schedule with Mr. Kuntz back from Russia with some international updates to the tuls and kids back in school, it's time to mark your calendars for MAA events that are being added every week.

Be sure to stay up to date with the events section of the website at www.martialartsadvantage.com, and mark your calendars for these kool events such as photo day, graduation, parents night out and upcoming seminars.

We're working hard to secure the next cold war tournament to be held in Tampa, the next tkd famly outing and will keep you informed of the latest information.

If you have any questions or comments, be sure to email us at maa@martialartsadvantage.com.

Hello family and friends! I finally made it home from Russia very late last night and have many training stories to share along with patterns or tuls that have been solidified.

Look forward to upcoming updates in our internationally sync'd tuls as we have much work to do.

Many of you have asked about traveling abroad for our next training session and I now have confirmation and an invitation from the Russian contigency that we are in the planning stages of a trip just for you.

Stay tuned for more updates in class, and check out the pictures of this adventure coming soon to the photo gallery.

Thank you for all your kind wishes and support as I am ready to get back to teaching and training with you asap.

Respectfully,
Anthony C. Kuntz

Mr. Kuntz has been invited to join Master Whitlow and Grand Master McNeely to attend the induction ceremonies of Russia's newest head of their TaeKwon-Do organization, Grandmaster McNeely. This is a very distinct honor as there have only been two other Grandmasters to lead the Russian organization. The first heads of this organization were the founder of TaeKwon-Do General Choi Hong Hi, and then original pioneer Grandmaster Park Jung Tae.

The Russian TaeKwon-Do Federation has planned countless tours of their country and ceremonies to be sure that this event is one to remember.

Wish these 3 gentlemen a safe journey, and be sure to look for upcoming photos of this unprecedented event.

This past Saturday had some very savvy grappling and jiu-jitsu competition that was second to none.

AnthonysFotos.com with pictures by Anthony Kuntz was there to capture some exciting moments this past weekend.

Check them out!

You can still enroll for this week's exciting samurai camp. The samurai swords arrived today and we're looking for 3 more students that wanna add a boost to their summer fun!

Come in on Monday at 9am and get registered!!!

Thank you SWAT members for such a great showing during the last several months, especially with your demonstrations during graduations. As you know SWAT officially ended last week, and we’re looking for some new, and some old faces to continue demonstrating all the skills they have learned at Martial Arts Advantage.

It is truly a privilege for me to be able to work with students that have a very open mind in advanced training, and the attitude that they are going to better themselves mentally and physically every single week.

Stay tuned as we have formed a committee to invite new SWAT members to begin training the first week of July. If you are asked to become a member of SWAT, think of it as an honor and a privilege and congratulations. If you’re not invited the first week of July, stay tuned as you may be invited at any point in your training. We’re looking for students that have the leadership qualities (at the academy, home, and in school) and physical skills (in martial arts and tumbling capacity) that are fit enough for this type of advanced training.

Work hard, Train hard…Born to Win, Sir!

Anthony C. Kuntz
Chief Instructor/USTF Regional Director

Are you ready to sweat into shape???

We've got the most exciting kickboxing class to date coming June 18th!

The first 10 students to get enrolled receive:
FREE Kickboxing Gloves
FREE Hand Wraps
and your 1st month is FREE!

Get in Shape, learn real deal kickboxing techniques for self defense, and have a BLAST.

Get enrolled TODAY!!!

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone that competed in the first EVER Cold War Tournament!

What an exciting event! Just hearing the comments, praises, and seeing the looks of the parents and students, everyone knew how much of a successful event the Cold War was for everyone involved.

A special thanx goes out to all of the Black Belt judges and students that helped make this tournament such a success. A BIG thank you goes out to all the parents and students that participated, and we're excited ya'll had such a blast!

Be sure to tell your friends about your positive experience, and lets start getting ready for Cold War II.

P.S. If you took any pictures during this event, please email or bring them in so we can add them to the website.

P.S.S If you'd like another memorable Cold War t-shirt, you can get the few that are left at the MAA academy.

We've been keeping everyone up to date with MAA news through email. If you havn't been receiving any emails from MAA, then you're missing out!

If you're missing out, you have 3 options:
1) Contact us via email with your email address
2) Go to the www.MartialArtsAdvantage.com home page and enter your email address
3) the next time you're in class be sure to give your instructor your email address, and he'll do the rest

Happy training, and thank you for taking the "Martial Arts Advantage!".

There were so many positive comments on how everyone appreciated being able to socialize with the MAA staff, students and other parents at this exciting event.

A BIG thank you goes out to Mrs. Sweeney for helping to organize the events activities, especially the scavenger hunt. What a Blast!

So much good food, football, hoola hoop contest (including adult contest), jump rope contest, and lots of tree climbing were part of the agenda.

Thank you to everyone that came, and be sure to look for pictures of this awesome event to be posted soon.

Congratulations students on a job well done at graduation!

Another step in your journey to "Black Belt Leadership Excellence!".

What an exciting event, and tremondous banquet!

There were over 600 competitors going for the gold this past weekend, and several Masters confirming their rank in front of the National Board of examinees.

Stay tuned for the next big event and check out the pictures in the gallery section, coming soon.

Look what we have scheduled for you:

Spring Break Belt Camp
The Cold WAR Tournament
MAA Picnic

Be sure to check the events calendar frequently for details and updates.

Students have commented all day today about the buzz of an incredible Graduation.

Thanks to superb guest high ranking Black Belts in attendance, an unbelievable demonstration of skill from the SWAT team, Mr. Petrov, and Mr. Kuntz, graduation was another exciting and memorable event.

We'll have pictures up very soon, and hopefully a great video of Mr. Kuntz throwing Mr. Mikes' head through a board in a very amusing self defense performance.

If you have any pictures from the event, please bring them in on either CD or memory card, and we'll share them via the website.

Great job to everyone that graduated, and a special thanx to all that brought food and helped clean up.

p.s. congratulations to all special award winners including:

Visionary Award
Alex Petrov

Most Dedicated Instructor Award
Chris Kuntz

Outstanding Instructor Award
Mike Ward

Most Dedicated Family of the Year
Sweeney Family

Most Dedicated Student Award
Sarah Tigue

Most Dedicated Student Award
Timothy Marks

Most Supportive Student
Adele Goldsmith

Most Passionate Student
Joey Basi

Most Passionate Student
Dr. Adam Morse

Most Dedicated Student Award
Kathi Baruch

Most Dedicated Student Award
Jenni Stiles

It was a packed weekend full of camraderie, knowledge was shared on the ground game and Grand Master McNeely went through the traditional patterns to help bring unity in our training.

Special thanks goes to GM McNeely, Master Whitlow, and Master Dyals. Thank you sirs!

What an exciting night out!!!

Dance contest, Pegs with the Instructors, Video Game Championship, fun fun fun!!!

Check out the latest pics in the gallery section of the web site coming this week!!!

From Mike Lee Kanarek
Chief Instructor/Founder Haganah

What a Great weekend!!!

This conference was awesome.

I want to personally thank James Cooper from TX for helping me teach the conference... You did a great job my brother!

I was so please to see 50 strong FIGHT Instructors busting their a$ all weekend long, it was a strong conference as I promised and you ALL did great... with never complaining- Kudos!

Also a special thank goes to Chris Ghannam for sharing with us the very few techniques this weekend, I think a lot of the guys won't take for granted the upcomming opportunity to come train with you at the National Headquarters when you teach the "Advanced Defensive Tactics Seminar" this year- date to be announced....

Congratulations to the 13 new HaganaH Black Belts that joined Evangelos, Justin, Cooper and Randy in this prestigious status- that is not, by any mean, an easy test- YOU EARNED IT WELL!!!

I know that pride is a sin, but oh well, its not like I don't sin on other subjects... but I couldn't help but looking around the room this past weekend while Cooper and myself were teaching, and feel proud of all of you...

... We are indead "The Top of the Food Chain"

Thank You to all of you who attended, you are the neucleus of our Organization!

Congratulations to Anthony Kuntz for making history by being one of the first Israeli Haganah Black Belts

There are no classes from Wednesday, December 20th through Tuesday, January 2nd 2007.

Enjoy your holiday safely, from our family to yours.

A Big "thank you in advance" goes out to Mr. Edwards for the terrific seminar he's going to put on for all students at MAA.

Mr. Kuntz and Mr. Edwards, as many of you know, had a friendly wager on the SEC Championship game this past Saturday. With the slaughtering of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Mr. Edwards has agreed to come down to Florida to teach one of his outstanding seminars.

We're all grateful to Mr. Edwards for being so naive in thinking the Razorbacks would win against the Florida Gators. Be on the lookout for this exciting seminar to come, especially with Mr. Edwards also having to be dressed in orange and blue to celebrate the Gator win.

Thank you Mr. Edwards!!!

As always, there were exciting happenings and great changes for the future at this years Winter Nationals.

The USTF has decided to take on the NEW name of "United States TaeKwon-Do Foundation" to better reflect its newly acquired not for profit status. "This change better reflects what our organization stands for and signifies the exciting direction the USTF is headed in", said Newly elected President Master Buddy Hudson.

Master Hudson was elected as the New USTF President by the Board of Directors, after former President Troy Burleson stepped down to become the New Secretary General. Mr. Burleson stated that, "In order for this organization to grow the way we know it has the potential with its now International implications, it's important to have the right person in place to ensure this growth".

Along with the change in Presidency, the USTF has adopted a new management team style to help the process along (details to be unveiled). For example, Master Hudson stated, "I'm going to be a working President, and by this I mean I'll be visiting the different regions that need my assistance to spawn on this growing period". Master Hudson plans on visiting Florida in the next several weeks, and we suspect it's to also get out of the cold weather. We all knew he had an alterior motive.

On a more serious note, we're all very excited at the steps that the organization has taken to this past weekend, especially with the way Mr. Burleson put his ego aside, to let a new approach begin.

In other news, Grand Master Kong appreciated the technique he saw, and has asked all instructors to step up their personal training to be a model for juniors to follow. He's expecting a bigger, and better 2007, and we're not going to let down any of the Grand Masters.
Also, Master Jason Wadley was awarded the award for most outstanding and innovative new program of the year with the introduction of the "Executive Black Belt Program", which Martial Arts Advantage has already put in place with the enrolling of its first students into the program. Be on the look out for this new and exciting program, as it is the most cutting edge training curriculum to be seen in the last several years. Way to go Master Wadley!

Lastly, Mr. Kuntz and Mr. Edwards have a friendly bet on the Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Florida Gators game, and the winner gets to host an incredible seminar by the other instructor. Go Gators!!!

Stay tuned for the latest exciting changes and upcoming events that'll be sure to stay true to our motto of "Constant and Never Ending Improvement".

Wow, what a jammed packed and fun day.
Mr. Chris and Mr. Kuntz were invited into local elementary schools to participate in the "Great American Teach-In".
The usual agenda is for professionals to come into the classrooms and talk about professions they have chosen, and the career paths they are on. In usual MAA fashion, Mr. C and Mr. K wanted to spice things up a bunch! From the elementary teachers setting the example and breaking boards for the classes, to Mr. Chris's awesome defense against bad guys on a narrow bridge, towering over the worlds deadliest sea creatures, to the kids learning about the abc's of success, everyone had a blast.
Several times during the day, it was common to have other speakers and teachers pop their heads into the room to see why there was so much excitement. One teacher remarked "the word is out, ya'll have the best presentation of the day, and everyone wants to be a part of it". What a compliment!!!

Special thanks goes out to Chase and Mrs. Crews for her diligence in organizing several of the days events.

If you'd like to have Mr. Kuntz or Mr. Chris come visit your school or special event, please give them a call at the academy, and they'll be sure to accomodate you.

We just finished up an incredible cross training conference with the legendary Joe Lewis, and many others. For those of you that don't know, Joe Lewis fought in the first full contact kick boxing match, and has since developed the Joe Lewis fighting systems.

There were black belts from all over the nation to train with the legends.

Some notable seminars included:
Joe Lewis -incredible kick boxing methodologies
Bill "Superfoot" Wallace" - Flexibility and kick boxing
Mike Lee Kanarek - hand to hand combat and Israeli Gun Defense
Danny Dring - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Dr. Muang Gi - Burmese Thai boxing
Lysak brothers - conditioning and street fighting
Richard Ryan - Knife fighting

stay tuned for the next conference tba

At Martial Arts Advantage, everyone understands that being satisfied with your progress, means you're NOT progressing.

We wanted to take the time to congratulate our NEW members of the S.W.A.T. team. These are the elite few that been recognized as future leaders who are definitely NOT satisfied with where they are.

Congratulations goes to:
Skylar Sutherland
James Clifford
Sal Luongo
Christopher Morse
Michael Morse
Timothy Marks
Aaron Wilson
Mike Ward
Vanessa Benchea

These elite students are learning aerial techniques as well as tumbling skills to go along with all of their martial arts training. The workouts are grueling, and the attitudes are fierce, and ya know... we're just getting started.

By the way...Mr. Kuntz can back flip with the best of them!!!

S.W.A.T. - MAA's Special Winning Attitude Team... Day 2, success.

S.W.A.T. - MAA's Special Winning Attitude Team met for the first time today and had a blast.

For the first hour of training, Mr. Leighton had the team (including Mr. Kuntz and Mr. Mike) performing dynamic stunts like handstands, cart wheels, round offs, and back hand springs. By the way, that was day 1, hour 1! Unbelievable!!!

The team was up for the challenge, and with such an incredibly talented coach like Mr. Leighton, they were excited about what they were going to do next.

Thanks Mr. Leighton!, and be on the look out for a demonstration of our S.W.A.T. students coming very soon.

This past weekend Marcelo Garcia shared what has made him the #1 Jiu-Jitsu player in the World.

Mr. Kuntz and Sensei Kellin traveled down to Miami to train with World's best, and learned what makes a champion.

Check out the photo gallery to see the latest pics.

Check out the newly updated Members section of the site.

We've just added for your convenience links to pattern videos and a better explanation to help guide you through the phases on your way to Black Belt.

Have you checked out the Way Kool XBOX 360 on display at MAA?

Oh yeah, you guessed it. The XBOX 360 raffle is coming soon, and there's still time to get registered to win.

All you have to do, is think of a friend you know that would enjoy the martial arts as much as you, and then invite them in to try class with you. It's that easy, or if you prefer, just give your friend's name and number to your instructor, and he'll do all the work for you.

Every person you refer will get you entered into the awesome XBOX 360 raffle, and every person you bring in will get you entered 5 more times. There's even a way to get 20 tickets for your chance to win this great prize.
Ask your instructor how, and we hope to see all of you training with your very best friends.

By the way...So far Zachary G. has the most entries with over 600 tickets. Who's going to break that record? We know YOU can do it!!!!

It was an Honor to be a part of such a prestigous and unprecidented event at this past weekends WTA World Championships.

Our mentor and leader acheived his 9th degree black belt, the highest black belt rank in TaeKwon-Do this past weekend in Las Vegas in front of the highest ranking Grand Masters and pioneers in the World.

Master Scott McNeely performed his traditional patterns (in front of the pioneers that developed the patterns), and a board breaking and self defense demonstration that truly exemplified what a master should look like.

Some other notable highlights included Grandmaster Kong, Young Bo coming down from the judges table in his suit demonstrating his board breaking. (what a treat!)
Master Whitlow received his 8th Degree
Master Jason Wadley earned his 7th Degree
Master Mehrdad Valian earned his 7th Degree
Master Buddy Hudson earned his 7th Degree
Master Brice Bishop earned his 7th Degree
Master John Burns earned his 7th Degree
Master Van Sickle earned his 7th Degree
Mr. Kuntz confirmed his 5th degree Black Belt
Mr. Petrov earned his 5th degree Black Belt
Mr. Chris earned his 3rd degree Black Belt

What an exciting and different way to spend your Sunday in Tampa. 50 of your closest martial arts family to celebrate the camraderie that goes along with your martial arts experience.

This was the first time you and your MAA family got together for a Devil Rays game, and we've so far have had rave revues. If you missed this exciting event, be sure to look for the next up and coming exciting outing brought to you by your MAA team.

This past weekends senior instructor training camp was jammed packed with pattern information and repetition, repetition, repetition.

There was great camraderie at the McNeely's BBQ, and a fantastic dinner at Master Hoss Rafaty's pimp pad. If you didn't get a chance to work out with the Black Belts this past weekend, be sure to look for the next training seminar with the Master's.

This past weekend, the MAA team had the opportunity to train with the Legend of the UFC, Royce Gracie.

The Gracie family is credited to have brought the martial arts world, and the reality of how a fight might end up to it's modern state.

Royce demonstrated his excellent teaching style and smoothness on the ground. He's able to slither with smoothness of a snake, and the grace a well oiled machine.

If you missed this seminar, you missed one of the events of the year.

Check out the great pics in the gallery and stay tuned to our events section to future incredible seminars.

Summer Camps are well under way, and have been a big hit.

Check out the new summer camp photos in our gallery section!

The Gallery portion of the web site has been updated with "Your Pics, for Students by Students".

This gallery section is dedicated to students that submit pictures they want to see on the website. So what are you waiting for? Bring in your best Pics!

There was some incredible competition this past weekend as the Martial Arts Advantage team went out to improve their skills.

It was a great learning experience, and a piece of the puzzle that will definitely make everyone that competed better.

Congatulations to Peter Lezin who took 1st in his division and all of the MAA Team that had a great showing:

Nicholas Nabors
Leighton Clarke
Aaron Wasserberger
Chris Kuntz
Josh
Donnie

check out the pics in the Gallery section

Check out the new schedule that begins June 2nd.

The newest schedule has the academy buzzing with the additions of brilliant new Leadership classes. With the addition of 2 Black Belt only classes, a sparring class, and a personal protection HAGANAH for families, this is the most exciting time to be a part of the MAA family.

Leadership students now have even more convenient classes and great cross training opportunities. Take one class a week, or if you're up to it, try six. Whatever you decide, you're going to have a blast!

Korea in 2006

It had been years since I was last in Korea, 19 in total. As a young teenager, memories of 3 hour martial arts training sessions was the norm 5 days a week, with an “easy” hour training session every Saturday are still very vivid. The Korean currency wasn’t nearly as strong as it is today; in fact it seems as if the consumer products are equivalent to state side purchases due to the growth of the country. Although shopping was on the agenda, the unexpected high ticket items didn’t squelch this trip of camaraderie, friendships, higher perspective of culture and life, and not to mention the ground work of political connections and networking that was accomplished.

The 10 day adventure started with a 16 hour flight with a first stop in Detroit to meet with my future room mates, mentors, and friends, twelve of us in total. From there we were all off to Tokyo, and then Seoul, Korea where the USTF story would begin, yet only to be fully understood if you had a first hand account.

Highlights of the Korea Tour

• Museum of Yi Soon Sin
• Visit Yi Soon Sin’s Burial Site
• Traveling to Grand Master Kong’s boyhood city and home where his family still lives
• Exploring the World TaeKwonDo Kukkiwon headquarters
• Kicking contest in the heart of downtown Seoul
• Endless Buffet’s of Kimche, for Breakfast, lunch, and Dinner
• Korean War Cultural Museum
• Meeting with the Mayor and Other Delegates
• Hiking up some of the most famous mountains in Korea
• Discussion of the future World Championships
• Meeting with Grand Master Kim of KICA
• Visiting the DMZ which divides the North from the South
• Meditating at the Temple of the Buddhist Monks
• Visiting the Emperor’s Palace
• Working out with Grand Master Kong, Young Il
• Friendships and Bonds formed with present and future Masters of Tae Kwon-Do

Congratulations are in order to our Newest USTF 7th & 8th Degree Masters!

This past weekend in Dallas, TX, Mr. Kuntz had the honor of witnessing Master Brad Whitlow of Tennessee and our newest Master Jason Wadley of Texas earn their 8th & 7th Degree Master Certifications respectively.

When we say earn, we mean EARN!

It is unheard of for Master Instructors of their stature to put on a physical demonstration / testing of this kind. At that high level of Black Belt, most other accreditations by other associations are normally just given without any public demonstration, and that's what makes our organization one of the most respected in the world.

From Patterns, to Board Breaking, sparring and self defense, being able to be a part of such an event was breath taking.

Our Senior Instructors once again showed how they lead by example, and "Walk the Talk".

In our quest for Constant And Never Ending Improvement and to continue to bring you the highest standard in Martial Arts Training, Martial Arts Advantage is proud to offer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with legendary lineage through Royler Gracie.

Some have asked if the Jiu-Jitsu program is new, and the short answer is "No", we just now have solidified one of the most respected names in the art as our direct Sensei.

Keep up the hard training and reach for your goals and beyond!!

Exciting up & coming events include: Master McNeely to Test for 9th Degree Black Belt in front of the highest Grand Masters in the World at the ICTF International World Games in Las Vegas.

The next Pizza Party Lock-In has been scheduled.

Next graduation is only 5 weeks away! Saturday, May 13th; train hard and get ready!

We are now enrolling for our Summer Weapon/Belt Camps! Spots are already being filled. And our Early Bird Discount will soon be over!

There are two belt camps available:
June 5th-16th
July 17th-28th

See our events section for more details and take advantage of the early bird discount before its too late!

MartialArtsAdvantage.com has undergone a minor facelift. We incorporated our new logo design into the webpage as well as our newest gecko (yes, it's a gecko) mascot. Also noticeable is the apparent addition of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to our programs section. Dig through the site and see if you can spot all the changes!

New pictures have just been posted.
Check out the New pictures in the Gallery section of the web site.

Bring Mom, Dad, or one of your best buddies this Wedneseday to this exciting Muay Thai class.

We're going to work on lots of kool combinations that will help your free sparring excel to the next level.

Hey MAA Students! Be on the look out for our very special Black Belt judges that will be at your March 11th graduation.

Most of you have never met one or two these special guests. We've invited them in to witness all of your hard work. Put on your best dobok and be ready to perform.

P.S. - figure out which guest Black Belt judge broke 2 baseball bats with his shin in Dallas this past winter nationals.

Check the events section to see when the USTF Grand Nationals have been scheduled.

A big thank you goes out to all the students that helped to make this USTF Rally and Graduation a Huge Success.

Students and Instructors from throughout the Tampa Bay area participated including: South Tampa Martial Arts, Martial Arts Advantage, Family Karate Center, and West Chase Impact Martial Arts.

Here's a brief desciption of some Notable moments:
- Close to 400 participants
- the Pot luck Food was tasty
- the suspense and excitement brewed over the anticipation of the raffle winners
- public announcements of Mr. Kuntz as Newly elected Regional Director, New South Tampa, Town N Country, and Westchase Locations
- Chris Kuntz receives his Certified Instructor Black/Red Collar
- Michelle Butler receives her Certified Training Instructor Red Collar
- Special MAA Appreciation and Support awards go to Program Director Chris Kuntz, Summer Camp Program Directors Sharon Steffanetta, Elizabeth Steffanetta, Kathryn Steffanetta, Assistant Instructors Mike Ward & Michelle Butler, Cross Training Instructor Ross Kellin
- Our Newest 1st Degree Black Belts: Michelle Butler, Vanessa Benchea, Sarah Tigue, Skylar Sutherland, Boone Fisher, Timothy Marks
- Spectacular High Rank Black Belt Instructors Demonstrate their skills including: HAGANAH Israeli Combat Defense Demo by 5th Degree Black Belt Anthony C. Kuntz, High flying advanced TaeKwon-Do Demonstrations by 5th Degree Black Belt Ryan Fernandez, and 4th Degree Black Belts Alex Petrov and Alan Hernandez


The best part was that the whole event was Professionally captured on video by Silver Screen Productions, soon to be available to the public. Call to reserve your copy through MAA Headquarters today! 813-977-8800

Get ready...The USTF Rally/Graduation is coming next Saturday, January 21st at the Northdale Recreation Center.
Bring your favorite covered dish to share, and sit back on watch special guest Black Belts Demonstrate for you. You're going to have a blast.

Congratulations to the Dominguez family & Anthony Soto as our newest Leadership Students of the Month.

Keep training hard, we're watching.

We want to wish you and your family a very Happy and Better than ever 2006.

Have a very safe and prosperous new year, and give your family a special hug to begin this year off right.

Remember regular class schedule begins on Monday, January 2nd.

In effort to keep you up to date and informed with all of the exciting up and coming events, be sure that we have your updated email information.

If you havn't been receiving the latest in emailed flyers jam packed with health, safety, and upcoming events, then we need your email address.

Send in your email addresses to MAA@MartialArtsAdvantage.com

On December 4th, 2005 USTF President Troy Burleson appointed Mr. Kuntz as USTF Southern Regional Director. This appointment was later unanimously confirmed officially by the board of directors on December 14th.

Mr. Kuntz graciously accepted and was honored by the trust and confidence in all of the responsibilities of this position bestowed upon him by his seniors.

Congratulations to the Goldsmith family as our newest Black Belt Leadership Family of the Month.

Martial Arts Advantage is proud to bring you Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu taught by Master Ross Kellin beginning Nov. 2nd.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is possibly the premier ground-fighting martial art. Made famous by Royce Gracie in the early UFCs in the mid-1990's, it specializes in submission grappling when both fighters are on the ground. Techniques include positional control (especially the "guard" position), and submissions such as chokes and arm locks.

Enroll for this exciting class with Mr. Kuntz today!

Congratulation to everyone that Graduated this past cycle.

Keep up all your hard work and we look forward to seeing you reach all of your goals.

The Hurricane Katrina disaster victims and from all of us at MAA we thank you for all of your support and donations.

With your kind donations we managed to help send four semi's full of much needed food and necessites to make a life a little easier on those affected by the hurricane this past month.

Thank you for proving that we are truly more than just kicking and punching.

The Black Belts had a grueling workout in the morning, then continued with attendees for the awesome Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappling seminar with Master Kellin.

This seminar was especially fun because the juniors brought in Mom & Dad to demonstrate their new arm bars and chokes on.

FUN, FUN, FUN!

The overall reponse was high because of the excellent instruction by BJJ Black Belt Master Kellin and Mr. Devon.

"Mr. Kuntz, this stuff really works!", one attendee remarked.

Stay on the look out for Master Kellins next up and coming Seminars.

The fall season is quickly approaching as summer camps completed this past Friday with some of the highest summer enrollments in MAA history. Parents and students alike are gearing up for the new school year and the energy is high in anticipation of getting back into a normal routine.

Be on the look out for upcoming events and seminars in August, including an Adult Black Belt workout, CPR/First Aid training and Leadership success seminars.

A special congratulations goes out to Misha Novitzsky for his win in his premier mixed martial art competition this past weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas. Mr. Novitzsky received a TKO over an outclassed and battered opponent in the second round.

Kama Camp begins this Monday!!!
Speak to Mr. Kuntz about enrolling today.

We're going strong in week two of camps with everyone, including instructors, learning their newest weapon of choice. Last week was the Bo Staff, this week is the 3 sectional Staff, and next week there's going to be a lot of wood bustn'.

Come join in on the fun and invite your friends, there are still spots open for upcoming camps.

Summer Camps are filling fast!!!

Check with your instructor for the next availability of Belt Camp.

Congratulations to Mr. Gino Steffanetta who is our newest Certified Haganah FIGHT instructor.

Gino, fresh back from sin city, completed a grueling and intense 45 Hour Instructor Certification this past week.

We were able to ask Gino a few candid questions, and here's what he had to say.
MAA: Mr. Gino was the Haganah Certification Intense?
G: Oh Yeah!
MAA: We've heard that at these certifications there are stress drills in which a candidate is hit quite hard. Did you get hit at all?
G: Ouch, Oh Yeah!
MAA: Where were you struck?
G: the leg (man the hurt), the head(ouch), the body(ugh), and the gr**n(ewwwwwwww).

Those that have had the opportunity to work out with Mr. Gino know and understand his work ethic, and with his latest credential of being accepted into West Point Academy, and his stellar answers on this interview, you know how intelligent he is.

When asked if the certification process was as intense as everyone was making it out to be, his response was, "Oh Yeah!", which translates to everything and more.

I DON'T KNOW YOU, DON'T COME NEAR ME!!!

Saturday's Abduction Safety seminar focused on the 10 evil warriors. These evil warriors represent the most common type of lures child predators use to gain the trust of a child.

With a captivating movie presentation, discussion, and role playing, kids were glued to learning and understanding the information on how to stay safe.

5 year old "Lil' Dragon" Fosters' mom commented on how he came home with dad reciting who the 10 evil warriors were and how he should never go anywhere with anybody, without their permission. Fosters' mom was impressed and appreciative of how affective the seminar was, and wanted to know when the next one would be.

With the success of this seminar and the need to educate within our community, we're planning our next abduction seminar for June.

So stay tuned, and tell your friends about this community service provided to you by Martial Arts Advantage.

There were prizes to be given out, and Basic Programs to be claimed later this week. All in all, a huge success.

Getting out in the community, and sharing how the martial arts can shape lives, is a reward in itself to all that participated in this years YMCA Demonstration.

A big thank you for their hard work and contribution go out to:
Sharon Steffanetta
Elizabeth Steffanetta
Kathryn Steffanetta
Chris Kuntz
James Garner
Sal Luongo
Kathryn Okulski
Terese Okulski
& Rianna Davilla.

Thank you for all of your support.

"Grappling Class was so much fun", an MAA student exclaimed Thursday afternoon, after an exhilirating workout.

"Mr. Kuntz, It's great, I'm starting to see all of these windows of opportunity when I grapple now.", another MAA Black Belt commented.

Leadership students paticipated in one of the best grappling sessions we've had to date. As students and instructors "rolled", the energy was high and the knowledge was flowing. Those two combinations will work wonders. All in all, another notch closer to "Black Belt Leadership Excellence!"

Windows of opportunity continue to open at MAA.

Work Hard, Be strong, Born to Win!!

Pizza, Movie, TaeKwon-Do dance contest with Aaron Wilson as newly crowned champ, and just plain more fun.

Students brought their buddies to experience Martial Arts Advantage fun. Look forward to the next "Parents Night out" coming in April.

Thank you Master Dring for another incredible cross training weekend.

If you missed this exciting weekend, you missed a bunch.

Master Dring is one of the few Master Instructor's who can take a student's knowledge base, no matter what style, and accelerate their learning in cross training.

From Kickboxing, Stick Fighting, joint locking, to grappling on the ground, all ranges were covered.

Master Dring started the exciting and information packed seminars from traditional methods and origins of training to real life application based methods.

This weekends training brought everyone that attended a few notches up on the continuum.

Spending your weekend with a Master Instructor.....

PRICELESS!

Do you have a picture you'd like put on our web site?

Submit your pictures to the webmaster at maa@martialartsadvantage.com

With the philosophy of Constant and Never Ending Improvement, the goal of Mastery is an ambitious one.

Mr. Kuntz has just arrived back from an intense session of martial arts training with Sensei Dring. From Muay Thai, Brazilian, and Japanese Jiu-jitsu, knowledge has been brought back to the MAA family to share.

Check out the new pics of students from around the country in a series of painful joint manipulation techniques only the most imbalanced individuals participate in.

Thank you Sensei...

Congratulations goes out to Ms. Wendy Jones for representing Martial Arts Advantage and becoming the 2004 USTF Gulf Champion in Women's Sparring Division.

Great job Ms. Jones, your diligence and work ethic prove how deserving you are.

(when you see Ms. Jones helping out in classes this week, be sure to congratulate her)

Congratulations is in order to our two newest Master.

Over a thousand spectators witnessed at the Dallas Convention Center a ceremony that will not soon be forgotten. Master Garry Dyals and Master Terry Brumley were awarded the rank of 7th Degree Master this past winter nationals, after completing a thesis and performing a physical test of board breaking, sparring, patterns & self-defense skill sets.

This status is a milestone most only live within their imaginations.

Congratulations, your mentorship and guidance truly define a Master.

Get Ready!!!

We're offering another incredible Belt Camp for the first 20 students to enroll.

This exciting and intense camp offered during the winter break is an excellent way for you to earn your next belt in only two weeks.

Ask our program director Mr. Chris how you can enroll today.

We're having another TaeKwon-Do lock-in Saturday night, November 6th! Our goal for the night is to, of course, have 4 hours of non-stop fun. This includes TaeKwon-Do, pizza, games, and even board breaking! Kids are invited to bring a friend to the event as well. Again, the event is Saturday night, November 6th from 6-10pm. But hurry up and enroll today because spots are limited to the first 30 students. See Mr. Chris for all the details.

Congratulations Mr. Chris!

Mr. Chris has recently been certified in the Haganah F.I.G.H.T. program by the Haganah Founder Mr. Mike Lee Kanarek.

This is truly an honor and well deserved privilege. Mr. Chris is one of only a few Certified instructors in the Israeli Combat Defense FIGHT program nation wide, and through his diligence on his birthday he went to endure knowledge and abuse to meet this goal.

Congratulations Mr. Chris, you have reinforced and strengthend our belief system through constant and never ending improvement.

New Schedule begins October 15th.

Pick up your new schedule in class.

Due to the unexpected hurricanes and the many requests we've heard from students the September 25th graduation has been moved to October 2nd.

Be sure to mark your calendars!

Awareness on the ground is essential to any well rounded martial arts curriculum, and continuing with the tradition of constant and never ending improvement, Your Martial Arts Advantage Academy has now been internationally certified to teach Israeli Ground Survival courses.

The importance of this type of training is the combat defense mindset different from the traditional Brazilian jiu-jitsu we've been practicing. Both programs are a great tool for training those attributes necessary for a well rounded combat defense program.

Get ready for some exciting seminars and great training ahead!

Martial Arts Advantage has now added another higher level of training curriculum to their programs.

Mr. Kuntz came back with honors finishing first in the class in Israeli Combat Shooting, and completing the Israeli Tactical Knife Instructor Certification.

This was the first National Knife/Combat Shooting Instructor Certification in the Haganah pyramid.

Congratualtions Mr. Kuntz, the invaluable perspective and training that will be passed on from your continuing education is invaluable.

Look for upcoming Tactical Knife seminars in the events section.

Compete, Watch, or just come have some fun at Disney.

This is going to be a spectacular event to be a part of. From TaeKwon-Do to Jiu-Jitsu, come to Disney's Martial Arts Festival.

Check the calendar of events for this exciting event for spectators and participants alike.

For more specific information Go to disneyworldsports.com

Congratulations to everyone that graduated, and to everyone that put in their best effort.

Many interesting and exciting stories were shared about the build up to, during, and after graduation.

Some of the highlights include: Mr. Carlos & Mr. Alex receiving their 2nd degree rank, Mrs. Chris & Mrs. Sharon receiving their 2nd recommended rank, and Mr. Carlos receiving his instructor red collar certification after having to go through a gueling physical and very entertaining teaching demonstration.

Keep up all the hard work and congratulations on a fantastic demonstration of Black Belt Leadership Attitude.

The Buzz has lived up to expectations. From traditional Marital Artists to beginners, the consitent comment heard about the Haganah FIGHT program is: "this is exactly what I've been looking for!".

If you, or someone you know is interested in straight forward, practical self-defense, then Haganah FIGHT is for you.

Martial Arts Advantage is one of the few Nationally Certified Academies offering such a prestigious Israeli Combat system designed for Housewife to Homeland Security.

Speak to one of our Team Members today about how to take Advantage of your first class with no obligation. You'll have a blast!!!

We're off to another exciting Summer with camps in high gear.

From water balloon fights, tumbling in the gymnastics pit to awesome TaeKwon-Do classes, the kids are having a blast.

Special thanx goes out to our Advantage team leaders, especially Ms. Marisa & Mr. Chris for staying organized and making sure everyone is having fun.

There's 7 weeks left of summer fun, so keep checking out the picture gallery to see some of the excitement.

to register for camps please call our Headquarters at 977-8800

Wear your favorite Tampa Bay Lighting T-shirt or Jersey all this week and support your favorite NHL Champion team.

Was this seminar worth the wait? Well, Master Whitlow has been an intricate part of our training in Tampa for the last fifteen years, and has proven once again that there is so much more to learn.

Mr. Kuntz is quoted saying "Master, after being shown the high box stick fighting set for the seventh year, I've got it!". How about that for perseverance?

Get ready MAA students, Mr. Kuntz, and Mr. Chris have a whole new selection of information to share with Masters & Leadership students during this next cycle of stick fighting drills.

We've waited a long time and now they're here. Get your new MAA School shirt today!

Congratulations to Mr. Kuntz & Mr. Novitzky for making Martial Arts Advantage a Nationally certified Center in the prestigious Israeli Self Defense known as the Haganah System.

Since the notorious day of September 11, the demand for a more straight forward system geared towards protecting oneself, family, community, and Homeland security is here.

Come experience what traditional Martial Artists with little to no mixed martial arts experience are refuting. "You'll have a BLAST!"

Speak with Mr. Kuntz about how to accomplish your immediate and long term goals.

For more information on the Haganah system, go to www.fight2survive.com

After a few months of hard work everyone has progressed nicely, adapting to the new cycles and phases.

There were a lot of questions on how directly you the student would benefit from this new rotating curriculum. Most of the questions have been answered, and the benefits are seen.

Keep up the great work everyone. Your progress both physically and mentally is one you should be proud of. Now, imagine yourself realizing your goals for 2004.

Congratulations to MASTER Danny Dring! Mr. Dring earned his 7th degree Mastership this past weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas. From all the feedback we've had, everyone enjoyed the extensive knowledge Mr. Dring shared with us during his seminar week. Those that met Mr. Dring truly understand that he is definitely a Master.

From everyone here at MAA, Congratulations Master Dring!!!

We're now enrolling for Summer Camps. These spots fill quickly, so enroll today.

Ask about Belt Camps to earn your next rank.

Enjoy and Be Safe this New Year. What an amazing year we have had. Congratulations to everyone getting steps closer and reaching your hard earned goals this year.

Relish in your triumphs and then see what other mountains you can conquer.

This year was Amazing, now let's embark on those new beginnings.
See you in 2004!

MAA had another incredible Leadership Class which was the buzz throughout the school. The huge turn out envigorated everyone involved.

Leaders are born everyday, and true Leaders cultivate that ability.

Communication skills were learned and images of what a true Black Belt looks like were visualized. Awesome job future leaders in proving that Champions truly are Born to Win!

Check the Events Calendar for the latest updated Information.

Wow! Congratulations to the students of Summer Belt Camp II for their outstanding performance both physically and mentally.

This year's participants endured some very grueling workouts which proved to be worth every bit of sweat. Congratulations for accomplishing one more step towards Black Belt Excellence.

This was also our "Super Summer Camp" inaugural year of what has proven to be the beginning of what Martial Arts Advantage and its students have always stood for; Excellence. From terrific TaeKwon-Do classes, fields trips, and tumbling into the pit, students praise what they had said was the best camp they had ever been to.

Special Thanx and kudos go out to the Advantage Team Leaders that made this years camps such a success: Mr. Chris who demonstrated perseverance and continues to inspire all of us to work harder, Mr. Gino who challenged every student to bring out their best, Ms. Marisa who kept everything running "smooth", and special thanks to Ms. Cathy, Ms. Katherine, Ms. Elizabeth, Ms. Sharon, Ms. Denise, Mr. Jose and all of our Black Belts for showing their awesome work ethic.

Belt Camp Testing will be at 9:30am at MAA Head Quarters, Friday, August 1st.

Good Luck & Future Black Belt, SIR!

Advantage After School Care is here! Imagine it, We'll Pick Up from school, Have homework finished, and Have TaeKwon-Do Class every day, so you can spend those few precious hours with your child as real quality time. Waiting lists are now forming! Speak to one of our Team Members to have your spot reserved today.

Now picking up from Lutz Elementary

The Pictures have arrived!

Pick yours up in the office at your next class time.

Congratulations to Master McNeely and the USTF for hosting this inaugural event.

With the excitement of international competition, students, instructors, and parents came back with an eye opening experience that is sure to benefit everyone involved.

There were some medals won, with Mr. Chris having to be a substitute for the Russian team of Kazakhstan, competing against Canada and England. This is an experience that won't be soon forgotten.

Check out the lobby for some very exciting pictures, which will soon be added to the gallery web site.

We just got word from Robertson Photography that the pictures are on the way. We should have them for you to pick up in the next two weeks.

Stay tuned for any further notice.

There's less than two weeks left before the Unprecedented International Tournament. You're going to want to fire up the video cameras for this awesome event. Make sure to register for the Banquet/Dance along with the tournament ASAP. You're not going to want to miss one bit of the action, especially the Master's Demonstration on Thursday.

Inspired!

Just another a day at the office? Not a chance. Every action packed seminar with 8th Degree Black Belt Master McNeely is always an eye opener.

This weekends seminar was a great tune up for the history making international tournament to take place in Orlando, Florida the week of July 14th-20th.

Congratulations to all of you that completed this intense weekend seminar. The sweat was pouring, and your muscles are just now beginning to feel normal, but now you're a better person & martial artists because of your hard training. Great Job!!!

The first two days of belt camp and the all-day summer camp, have been a huge success! Belt Camp has been great. The kids are already earning their stripes to help them reach their goals, as well as learning forms, and continuing to practice the five tenets: courtesy, integrity, perseverence, self-control, and indomitable spirit. We've even squeezed in some time to go out on the gymnastics floor and participate in some fun activities outside the classroom door.

Summer Camp has also been tremendous, with the first week consisting of some indoor soccer and will continue on to football. We could not be happier with the progress, as everything has been running smooth. And above all else, we've been successfully striving towards reaching our number one goal, TO HAVE FUN!

Thank you to everyone that helped make the OASIS Clothing drive for the less fortunate students in our community a huge success.

We collected several bins full of clothing, and from the looks of what was donated, the kids are going to be very thankful.

Thank you guys for going out of your way for this very special cause, and Thank you for giving back to our community!

The New Isomaxx's have just arrived! These incredible stretching devices will greatly improve your flexibility and take you to the next level.

Give one a test drive at the school and feel the difference. We only have 7 on hand, so get yours today!

If you're looking for an awesome camp this summer, you've found it!

In addition to our very successful Belt Camps, we're having an all day camp. There are a very limited amount of spots for this camp, so reserve yours today.

FREE registration if enrolled before May 7th

YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED!

We're having our first MAA Summer Camp!!!

For the whole summer we're going to kick, punch, speed ball, spar, skate, putt-putt, pizza party and you name it, we're going to give it a go.

This camp is for anyone ages 6-12, so tell your friends. There are Very limited Spots, so reserve yours today!!!

Drop off will be from about 8:30-9:00
Pick up will be from about 4:00-5:00
This is still a tenative time schedule, so gives us your thoughts, and we'll see you at camp.

As details become available we'll let you know.

As a way for us to say THANK YOU to all of you parents that are sometimes just not thanked enough, we're giving you personally the "Martial Arts Advantage".

We're offering you a whole month to experience fitness, self-defense, flexibility, and just have fun the "Advantage" way!

Ask your instructor how you can begin taking the "Martial Arts Advantage" today!

Urgent! Urgent! Urgent!

Everyone planning on the cross-training seminars in Ireland with Master McNeely need to let Mr. Kuntz know ASAP in order to reserve your hotel packages.

Have you heard?

Movie Night is coming, Summer Belt Camps have been set, and .......................

Check the events calendar & stay up to date with the current events at Martial Arts Advantage.

Smash, Crack, Pow!!!

That was the sound resonating throughout the school Wednesday & Thursday afternoon with students demonstrating their power and focused precision by striking those wood boards.

With such positive comments about the event, we've decided to schedule upcoming board breaking classes more frequently.

Watch the events calendar to see when your next opportunity is to smash some wood.

Tenative Dates have been set for this summer's belt camps.

For the past three years, students have raved about how much fun summer belt camp was. It's always amazing how they seem to forget how hard they worked to earn their new ranks. Amazing!

This year is no different. We're bringing back all the rage and have more action packed fun planned to keep all involved excited.

Keep checking back to see the updates and confirmed weeks for our 3rd annual Summer Belt Camp.

Martial Arts Advantage and OASIS are teaming up to give back to the community.Students need your help! For the whole month of April we’re collecting New/Used shorts & tops, sizes 5-16 for Boys and Girls to wear to school. (can be uniforms or regular play clothes) So let’s take some action, clean out those closets or pick up an extra shirt from the mall, and Thank You for Giving Back to Your Community!

There have been several updates to the Ireland Trip, including a price drop. Check the events section on the web and the poster at the school. This exciting adventure is for students, parents, and friends. RSVP with your intentions to Mr. Kuntz before March 28th.

Can you say packed house?

Whew!!! The Spirit Award goes out to all you parents that had such a great attitude under such a high energy environment. THANK YOU for making this years event such a success.

The weekend started with an incredible Black Belt Workout on Friday, with cross training and advanced techniques and then followed with the festivites on Saturday. We had over 210 competitors with three times the amount of parents, friends, and family. What a great day to reinforce the values and work ethic of the exemplary students from Martial Arts Advantage. Great Job You Guys!

The competition was stacked, which made your training that much more valuable. Keep up the awesome training.

A Big Thank You goes out to Master McNeeely and Master Whitlow for all their support, especially in the awe inspiring demonstration they performed. They're a true example of what a "Master" should look like. Special thanx goes out to Mrs. Karen Gentry-McNeely, Mr. Jeff Serdinsky from New Jersey, and Mr. Dyals and his staff for their dilligence.

If you missed this years event, we were thinking about you. If you participated, you understood the energy.

We're working hard to keep the philosophy of the CANI Warrior with Constant And Never-Ending Improvement. With that in mind, the school owners and USTF's Staff had a post meeting to see what improvements could be made to ensure everyone involved could have a richer experience. The first agenda in the works as we speak is to locate a larger facility. Wow, that's a great problem to have.

So, Thank you again for everyone's support and get rockn' ready for the Summer Nationals this April in Little Rock, and the World Championships in Orlando.

Special Notables:
Mr. Rodney Placed 1st in the Black Belt Men's Forms Division.
Mr. Chris Placed 2nd in the Black Belt Men's Forms Division.
Denise Chenoweth - 1st in Women's Sparring, 2nd in Patterns
Please email your results to MAA@MartialArtsAdvantage.com

Check the events calendar regularly to keep you up to date with the happenings at Martial Arts Advantage.

Notable Upcomings include: Master McNeely & Master Whitlow Hosting an Adult Black Belt Workout March 7th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

Round Out! Move Your Hips! Bang! That's Rich! Back! It's Gonna Hurt!

Those were the common phrases and sayings you heard at this weekends grappling seminar with Master Instructor Danny Dring.

All that participated enjoyed hours of reciprocated pain and anguish. And just when you thought there couldn't be any more to endure, "That's Rich!" was murmured, and you soon knew that fun time wasn't over.

Congratulations to all that persevered. This weekend was one that not only students benefited from, but Instructor/Students did as well. The Information packed seminar brought realism and understanding to our TaeKwon-Do training. With concepts firmly in place, the more knowledgeable student can now begin to take their training to the next level.

Check out the kool pics in our gallery!

You Asked!, We Answered!

Keeping with the MAA philosophy of "You Asked!, We Answered!", Adult Classes will begin April 1st (no joke!) on Mondays & Wednesdays at 9am.

The Adult classes are a great social atmosphere with a focus on Fitness & Self Defense.

So, if you always thought about getting into better shape, learning invaluable self defense that beginners through advanced enjoy, or maybe just getting a different perspective on what your kids are working so dilligently at, then this class is for you.

Take Advantage of this morning session to jump start your day, and speak with Mr. Kuntz about enrolling with the "New Student special" today.

Take Advantage of this incredible opportunity to train with 6th Degree Black Belt Danny Dring. Mr. Dring is offering this intense close quarter self defense seminar for Kids & Adults, including Mom & Dad.

Friends and Family are invited to learn these valuable techniques passed down through the centuries.

Check the events calendar for dates & Enroll today with Mr. Rodney or Call at 977-8800!

The members section has been completely overhauled. Sticking to our philosophy of "You asked, We answered," the members section now all the information organized by rank. Be sure to check back soon as more information will be added for each rank. If you don't see something you're looking for, drop us an email at maa@martialartsadvantage.com

Remember to Wear your favorite Buccaneer Shirt to classes all this week! Go Bucs!!!

Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs! Go Bucs!

We’re striving for “Constant and Never Ending Improvement” in providing you with the highest quality of classes. Beginning
February 1st the Mon. & Wed. Junior class will be divided into two classes. White & Yellow Belt classes will remain at 5:45 - 6:15, and the Jr. Orange Belt & Up class will move to 6:15-7:00.

Thank you and keep your ideas and suggestions coming. With your support we'll all take the "Martial Arts Advantage."

There were grueling workouts along with outrageous amounts of fun, and through it all we accomplished our goals.

Congratulations to all that completed the 2002 Winter Belt Camp, along with a most honorable mention of our newest Black Belt, Ms. Carrie Field.

Great Job you guys, and we'll see you at the next belt camp in the summer of 2003.

It's Your Picture Gallery!

Have you checked out the new photos in your picture gallery lately?

We're constantly updating the web site to give you the most informed and up to date web site you deserve.

If you have any pictures that you'd like to see on the site, please feel free to submit them to Mr. Chris. We'll review the pictures and hopefully yours will be the latest picture for everyone to share.

So get moving, and dig through those albums and find your best shot.

Mom, Do we have to go home?

It's unanimous, Belt Camp is a blast! From intense training to speed ball and trampoline work, excitement is all around.

Check the gallery for new pictures.

Here we are, at the close of another fantastic year culminating with the 2002 Winter Nationals and Awards Banquet.

The incredible weekend began with a simultaneous production of Black Belt testing and the Black Belt Championship Finals. Students and competitors prepared all year for this event and came to realize all of their hard work, the sweat and tears, which define a true champion.

Saturday's events started bright and early with the Black Belt Forms competition, and then with the first of many rated tournaments for the 2003 season. Following the jam-packed day of excitement was the awards banquet recognizing key achievements, along with lots of dancing and picture taking.

So the dust has settled and the newly crowned champions will adorn their champion jackets and belts, so where do we go from here you ask. Some will sit back and watch, but some, will jump in feet first ready to tackle 2003.

Congratulations to all of you champions!!!

Some noted awards include:

Team demo - Fayetteville Martial Arts
Most improved Martial Artist - Garry Dyals
Instructor of the Year - John & Allison Drew
Business Excellence Award - Jeff Serdinsky
Most Beautiful School - Jason Wadley
Presidential Masters Award - Brad Whitlow

Awesome! Awesome pictures you guys, we especially liked the action shots.

If you are interested in ordering extra prints, or maybe even getting some made into sporting cards, there's still time.

Ask your instructor for the photographer's contact information.

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You to everyone that participated in this year's Thanksgiving Food Drive.

Out of the kindness of your heart, the students of Martial Arts Advantage were able to raise over 200 lbs. for the needy of our community.

The volunteers at the Metropolitan Ministries helped unload the non-perishables with a smile. After four shopping baskets jammed with holiday goodness, the workers wanted to say thank you for all of your kindness.

Congratulations! Together we really did make a difference.

Belt Camp is here!!!

If you've experienced this fun packed camp, then you know how fast the spots fill up, and this year will be just as exciting.

Bring a friend and sign up today!!!

Limited spots available.

Congratulations to Mr. Jeff & Mrs. Sharon Serdinsky of Martial Arts America of New Jersey, who just this past weekend tied the knot.

Out best wishes and many blessings go out to this very special couple dear to us here at Martial Arts Advantage.

Congratulations to this special couple on beginning their next chapter in life together.

Scooby Dooby Doo!!! Great job guys at showing us once again we can really have an awesome time with friends and a little bit of laughter.

This months Lock-In/Movie Night was a huge success and it always amazes and makes us smile to hear questions of when the next one will be literally minutes after the close of one. Keep on kickn' and look at the events calendar to see what other kool happenings are coming.

We're calling it "Giving Back to the Community".

We're looking ways to give back to the Community and need your help. If you can think of a way that everyone involved here at Martial Arts Advantage can help contribute to a good cause, we're all ears. Some ideas that we're are looking at, but are not limited to are: "the Make a Wish Foundation", "Underpriviledged Children of Tampa", and "a College Scholarship".

We wanted to find a way to say THANK YOU to everyone that's helped shape the success of Martial Arts Advantage.

We've decided that it would be better to show you our gratitude. So if you think you may have some ideas close to your heart or may even want to orchestrate this first of what plans to be the beginning of much more, then drop us an email, or write down your thoughts and put them in the MAA Box at the school.

Give it your all and let's see how BIG of a difference we can make in our community!

Buddy Day was a huge success! Great job in packing the house with all of your friends.

This past Thursday, everyone was invited to bring a frined to class for some action packed fun. Classes were packed from wall to wall and your friends experienced all the fun and discipline you take part in at Martial Arts Advantage.

If you missed this awesome event, don't worry, we're planning to do another in the next couple of months. So mark you calendars and think about which buddy you want to bring this time.

Day 1 of Belt Camp has ended, and it was a big hit! We've set some goals, made some friends, and most importantly, had some fun. Pictures are up in the Gallery, so take a look! There are still 9 more days to go, so there is plenty more action to be had, not to mention all the great classes that will still be going on throughout belt camp!

Yesterday was Mr. Kuntz's Birthday! We wanted to wish him a very special Happy Birthday from everyone at Martial Arts Advantage. But, in-class, be sure to remind Mr. Kuntz that he has to go through the birthday tunnel...once or twice.

You asked, We answered!

We're excited to announce the NEW YMCA fall schedule, beginning August 1st.

Parents and students alike have requested from the very beginning to add an additional Little Dragons class, split the classes up for beginners and intermediate students, and to shift the Friday class to Mondays.

Well, mark your calendars. Beginning in August, your requests will be answered.

Check with Mr. Kuntz to receive your updated schedule.

Watch for upcoming events!

Summer is just about over, and kids are gearing up for another exciting year of school.

To add to all the excitement, we're scheduling lots of activities to ring in the new school year. Buddy Day, Parent Appreciation Month, & a Back to School Lock-In, just to name a few.

Continue to check the calendar for more exciting events!

Happy Independence to all!

Remember we will not have classes this thursday July 4th in observation of Independence Day.

Check out this fireworks safety site on the web. www.fireworksafety.com

Have a wonderful and safe holiday and we'll see you in class next week.

Can you say "Dynamite"?

Well that's exactly the concensus when asked about how this summer's first belt camp went. Once again, the camp filled quickly and students raved about how much fun they had. If you ask the instructors, their thoughts are that everyone worked so hard to earn their next rank, that we're surprised the students kept coming back for more.

Congratulations and Great Job to all that had the opportunity to take part.

Remember, a second Belt Camp "Session B", has been added this year which begins July 22nd. There are only a few spots left, so reserve your place today.

Intense? We're not sure this word alone can adequately describe this past weekend's seminar held in Orlando. Grueling, exhausting, exhilirating, informative, action packed, and Ouch! Some of these words may help describe the experience.

8th Degree Master Scott McNeely and 7th Degree Master Brad Whitlow conducted this three day Black Belt course with special thanks to 6th degree Karen Gentry and 5th degree Jeff Serdinsky.

The workouts were tough and enduring, and there were no regrets in participating only time needed to heal the soreness, with comments such as "wow, the first two hours of the seminar was filled with enough information to satisfy even the most experienced."

The focus on sparring strategy and footwork was designed to help the advanced black belt instructors with the intention of the information being passed on to students.

With another great success, the Masters were a delight and inspiration to watch in action and have once again continued to keep with tradition on sharing there knowledge to continue to grow the art of "Modern TaeKwon-Do."

Get pumped, because the last weekend of this month there will be a training camp held for all Adults (brown through black belt) in Orlando, FL! These training camps are amazingly incredible, as you almost can not say enough about them. Especially since, 7th and 8th degree black belts, Master Brad Whitlow and Master Scott McNeely, will be conducting the seminar! Not only will this camp be extremely informative, but it also is a great chance to meet, Master Whitlow and Master McNeely, two of the best martial artists of our time! So mark your calendars for April 26th-28th, you will not want to miss it.

Summer Belt Camp has always filled up so fast, and this year is no different. As time flys by, we're nearing closer to the summer and only 10 spots remain for belt camp session A! Spots are reserved on a first come, first serve basis. So, make sure you reserve your spot today!

Training effect! Training effect is methodology of increasing a student’s intensity and work ethic in the classroom and at any other extracurricular venues. This is what happened when Mr. Kuntz and two student instructors (Rodney & Chris) participated in this weekends USTF International Goodwill Championships. Training effect!

The caliber of competition was as expected of USTF/GTF events, very high, and the friendships made and refreshed were even more so.

Tournaments, if practiced with a positive attitude, can be a very intricate tool in shaping the students training, and vice versa. Along the lines of goal setting devices taught in the classroom, tournaments are a means to achieve a higher standard. When a student uses a tournament as an intermediate goal in their life long pursuits of mastery, magical things can be accomplished. This is exactly the attitude instilled in all students here at Martial Arts Advantage.

The weekend began with seminars in sparring, board breaking, grappling, weapons, and for school owners, business and management.

On Saturday morning, the opening ceremonies began with an introduction of the high ranks (5th to 9th degrees) consisting of one of the most powerful board of directors in the martial arts, including Grand Master Park Jung Tae, Masters Scott McNeely and Brad Whitlow. Continuing on with the introductions was the parade of states beginning with Florida to New Jersey with almost 1000 competitors, and the international teams USA and Europe. Then one of the highlights of the event was a Masters demonstration by Scott Mcneely and Brad Whitlow. Many people in the industry call themselves "Masters", but very few can actually perform, let alone demonstrate in front of thousands, with jaw dropping precision, power, and amazement.

The main event of the weekend was to be the international competition between the Korean and the American national teams, or was it?

Team Korea at the last minute were not able to receive visas to travel abroad for competition, however team Europe stepped in on short notice to give team USA the opportunity to engage in their own training effect.

The competition was one that didn't want to be missed, and proved to have a very exciting return. Team Europe won the forms competition by a small margin, and Team USA in overtime just narrowly nudged out the European team in sparring. With Grand Master Park, Masters Scott McNeely and Brad Whitlow presiding, everyone watched as the two teams put on an elite demonstration of physical skill and comradeship.

Mr. Kuntz, Rodney, and Chris will all attest that this weekends events will only serve to help in all of our students training. As the instructors grow, so do the students. Keep Kicking, and check out the gallery for some incredible pictures of all the events.


Honorable notes - Mr. Kuntz joined the ranks of national champions by placing 3rd in this prestigious event.

Great News!!! The summer belt camp schedule has just been posted.

Students and parents have been raving about how incredible Belt camp has been. From the intense information packed workouts to the gut bursting fun filled drills. This year's summer camp is not only a great opportunity to stay busy during the sometimes dull hot afternoons, but is also an aweosme way to accelerate to your next rank.

This year we're introducing a second camp to give everyone an opportunity to schedule around other summer activities and to give those with that extra energy to get ahead with both camps.

Check out the events section to see which camp or both will best fit you, but do it soon, spots fill quickly.

Wow! The pictures speak for themselves!

Mr. Kuntz along with Mr. Garry Dyals and the South Tampa crew spent an incredible six days in Hot Springs, Arkansas on February 20th through the 25th, attending an international instructors course with one of TaeKwonDo's founding fathers, 9th Degree Grand Master Park, Jung Tae.

Expectations were high, and the Grand Master along with 8th Degree Master Scott Mcneely didn't disappoint.

This intensive training camp went for an average of six to eight hours everyday, with an hour lunch just to give muscles enough time to get over the shock.

Mr. Kuntz commented that "just when you thought you couldn't possible endure another kick, punch, or drill, the Grand Master with his very traditional mindset simply asked for more, and as dilligent and passionate students, our reply was a resounding Yes, Sir!"

The instructors from all over the nation, including Texas and Missouri, learned a total of seven new GTF Patterns and Tae Kyon foot fighting drills to practice and perfect and eventually implement into their schools.

With incredible experiences like these, instructors can absorb and continue their education to constantly and progressively improve in not only their training, but pass along traditions and teachings extending many generations to you our TaeKwonDo family.

Check out the Pictures in the Gallery section and feel free to send us a comment or suggestion.
We'd love to hear from you.

Good news! The gallery has received its first of many updates to come. So what are you waiting for, click on gallery on the right navigation bar, and check out "Winter Belt Camp 2001." But that's just the beginning...More good things to come! Remember to check back for more.

The United States TaeKwon-Do Federation is actually comprised of some of the best martial artist we've ever had the pleasure of meeting. These martial artist are very well rounded in the kicking and punching game as well as in many other games which are appreciated, including submission grappling and weapons training.

Mr. Kuntz has known personally some of the members, including Vice President Brad Whitlow of Murfeesboro, Tennessee, for over ten years. Over the last decade, Master Whitlow has come to the Tampa area consistently to enjoy fishing trips, and late night workouts on the beach with Mr. Garry Dyals, Mr. Kuntz and friends in various parts of Florida.

So, these "guys" so to speak, are not just a group in which we've decided to join for political reasons, these "guys" are incredible gentlemen and gentlewomen with vast amounts of experience in martial arts, have the character standing the test of time that anyone would admire and emulate, and are also dear friends.
Well, in short, that's a very informal way of explaining just exactly who these "guys" are. We look forward to having many more exciting experiences to come in the near future.

Check them out on the web at:
USTFOnline.com

It has been a long time coming, and it is finally official.

We have now officially joined the ranks of many prestigious and amazing Martial Artists from around the globe. Prestigious in terms of Martial ability and character.

Mr. Kuntz is always in search of ways of bettering our School for you personally and as a Martial Arts family. Over the last several years we have researched national and international associations with common ideals and visions in mind.

This pursuit has resulted in the joining ranks with the United States TaeKwonDo Federation and the Global TaeKwonDo Federation.

This is the latest and most exciting news to date.

Stay tuned for more complete information to follow.

MartialArtsAdvantage.com is here! We have been working hard to get the site up and keep everything running smooth. So far things are looking great! But, our philosophy as that we can only improve, so we need your help. If you feel there is anything missing from this site, things that need to be changed, or just plain something else you would like to add or comment on, feel free to drop us an email:
web@martialartsadvantage.com.

We thought we would also let you know what is on the agenda. First, there's our picture gallery. We love taking pictures, and expect many more photos to be added with an improved layout and better organization. Second, there's our gear section. No, that's not the part of the page where we talk about how to tune-up your car. In Gear, we will have up information about the merchandise available at Martial Arts Advantage, such as Tae Kwon Do uniforms, sparring gear, t-shirts, etc. Another big thing we're working on is the members section! Currently, this section is out of order, but, this is the part of the webpage that's just for all of you at MAA! Oh yeah!..Here we will offer and post information on things such as definitions, kicking drills, and even forms! We have big plans for this section, and is one of the many ways we want to return the favor to everyone for being so supportive with all the kids and helping us make Martial Arts Advantage what it is. We want to help everyone as much as possible as well, but unfortunately, we can not be there 24/7 to answer that late-night nagging question of whether its a round kick or side kick in your form. So hopefully this site will help with that and much more! Thanks, and be sure to check up on our progress with the site!

We had a lot of fun at the lock-in this past Saturday, and hopefully we can expect more lock-ins to come! This weekend marked our first ever Tae Kwon Do lock-in held at Lightining City. There were games, pizza, games, board breaking, movies, oh and there were some games too. Overall everyone that went had a lot of fun, and we look forward to our next lock-in, which will only be better!

Its been a long time in the making, but finally it is here, the Martial Arts Advantage website! On the site you can expect to find regular news updates, information on upcoming events (such as Belt Camps, Testings, Board Breaking Clinics, etc.), catalog of different merchandise you can purchase (t-shirts, sparring pads, etc.), answers to frequently asked questions, current pictures showing off events or classes, as well as general information about MAA. Hopefully things will only get better as we strive to improve to better serve you. Head on over to the contact section to find out how you can get a hold of us, and send us an email about what you think of the new site! So, what are you waiting for? Add this site to your favorites and take advantage of the Martial Arts Advantage website.